Chicago's US Attorney releases rare special report about his contact with 'Broadview Six' grand jury

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A report like this from a U.S. Attorney is exceedingly rare, according to legal experts. But just this afternoon U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros released a "special report" of his interaction with the grand jury that indicted six protesters during Operation Midway Blitz, while public calls are growing for Boutros to resign.

"I can't remember ever seeing a document like this, a special report from the U.S. Attorney's Office about unusual proceedings before the grand jury," said ABC7 Chief Legal Analyst Gil Soffer.

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He tells the I-Team this "special report" from the U.S. Attorney's Office is unheard of, as is a U.S. Attorney addressing a grand jury after it has already heard a case.

"There's nothing inherently unlawful about it. It's not forbidden in the rules. It's just simply something that doesn't happen," said Soffer.

Prosecutors lost their first bid for an indictment against six protesters, including progressive politicians, accused in an incident of disrupting immigration enforcement outside of the Broadview ICE processing facility.

SEE ALSO | US Attorney had 'personal contact' with Broadview Six grand jury: defense counsel

Then, according to partial excerpts of the grand jury proceedings selected by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Boutros appeared before the grand jury hearing the case for a third time.

Boutros claims he only advised grand jurors on their constitutional role, and that he planned to address more grand juries in the Northern District.

However, in the excerpts, Boutros asked grand jurors to identify themselves if they could not be impartial, multiple times about immigration and another time about child exploitation.

READ MORE | Juliana Stratton calls for US Attorney Andrew Boutros to resign

"It's a question mark. Why was there a return of a true bill on the last day? Why wasn't there on the first day? Had there been a selecting or weeding out of grand jurors who had expressed strong opposition from the earlier sessions? The only thing we know for certain, to borrow the language of this special report, is that it's all extraordinary, all rare, all highly unusual," said Soffer.

The day Boutros addressed the grand jury, prosecutors secured their indictment.

"I don't think it is typical to ask jurors in advance of a case how they feel about the subject matter in question. In any given case, you present the evidence, you lay out the facts, you lay out the law, and you present an indictment for approval or no true bill," said Soffer.

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The U.S. Attorney's office also says "extraordinary measures may be required to restore the rule of law" when grand juries don't do their jobs.

"What does that mean? What are these extraordinary measures, and are they coming down the pike, and will we be expecting to see them? That's a very important question that this document does not answer," Soffer told the I-Team.

Boutros said in the report that he only appeared in front of the grand jury after informing Chief Judge Virginia Kendall. Defense attorneys filed motions Tuesday requesting attorneys' fees in the case claiming the U.S. Attorney's Office conducted a cover-up of their misconduct.

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