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Brian Straw

@brianstraw.bsky.social
1.3K followers 368 following 458 posts

Oak Park Village Trustee, "boring suburban dad," attorney.

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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 11h
“Somebody needs to do something." Marimar Martinez's attorneys insist they have the evidence to charge Border Patrol agent Charles Exum with wrongdoing in her October 2025 shooting in Chicago. From @chicago.suntimes.com on her new lawsuit: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
chicago.suntimes.com
Chicago woman shot by Border Patrol sues feds — and keeps pushing for criminal charges
Marimar Martinez was labeled a "domestic terrorist" and criminally charged after she was shot by agent Charles Exum last year. Since her exoneration, she has fought the Trump administration's aggressi...
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 10h
She was maliciously shot by CBP agents who proceeded to lie about every single element of the incident and criminally charged her. The charges were dismissed after film and photos showed she was right and they were lying. Now she demands criminal charges against the CBP agents.
chicago.suntimes.com
Chicago woman shot by Border Patrol sues feds — and keeps pushing for criminal charges
Marimar Martinez was labeled a "domestic terrorist" and criminally charged after she was shot by agent Charles Exum last year. Since her exoneration, she has fought the Trump administration's aggressi...
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I am proud to have stood with the rest of the Broadview Six to demand transparency and accountability. It would have been so easy for @katmabu.bsky.social, @michaelrabbitt.bsky.social, @catsharp.bsky.social, or Andre Martin to have stopped fighting after the case was dismissed. They never did.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
(Which is my way of saying... I've asked.)
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Under Illinois law, failure to obey a stop sign must be witnessed and pulled over in person by law enforcement. Oak Park can do red light cameras under state law, but we can't do stop sign cameras or speed cameras. Speed cameras are only allowed in cities with a population over 1 million.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
In announcing her decision, U.S. District Judge April Perry quoted both Spider-Man and the 7th Circuit. 7th Circuit: "The greater the power that defies the law, the less tolerant the court can be of defiance." Spider-Man: "With great power comes great responsibility."
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
(Perry acknowledged that Stan Lee is not binding.)
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jason Meisner @jmetr22b.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
JUDGE: How would you envision that looking, then? PROSECUTOR: What part? JUDGE: The part where I appoint an independent person in the interest of justice to investigate the Department of Justice, and that person is being supervised by the Department of Justice www.chicagotribune.com/2026/10/01/b...
chicagotribune.com
Judge to begin inquiry that could lead to criminal contempt charges in ‘Broadview Six’ case
A federal judge on Thursday said she’d initiate a “fact finding” process to determine whether potential criminal contempt charges are warranted against prosecutors in the “Broadview Six” case.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I do appreciate you beating this drum. I don't think folks really realize that this outcome was not assured and that this accountability is a public benefit rather than a personal benefit.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
When federal prosecutors assured Judge April Perry last spring they'd had no contact with top DOJ brass while pursuing the "Broadview Six," she took them at their word. Those days are over. From me and @sophiesherry.bsky.social on Perry's fact-finding effort: chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/1...
chicago.suntimes.com
'Broadview Six' judge wants to put prosecutors under oath, keeps contempt charges on the table
U.S. District Judge April Perry on Thursday raised the specter of a "cover-up" and questioned whether federal prosecutors in Chicago talked to top officials in Washington about the politically charged...
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I am proud to have stood with the rest of the Broadview Six to demand transparency and accountability. It would have been so easy for @katmabu.bsky.social, @michaelrabbitt.bsky.social, @catsharp.bsky.social, or Andre Martin to have stopped fighting after the case was dismissed. They never did.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Kendyl Hanks @kendylhanks.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
chicago.suntimes.com/live/broadvi... for you non-law folks you should know this judge is laying a predicate for contempt. These are issues on which the D has a right to hear the allegations and respond, so she was never going to do it here –
chicago.suntimes.com
'Broadview Six' judge raises specter of a ‘cover-up’ while pushing forward with inquiry: Live updates
U.S. District Judge April Perry said Thursday she’ll create a list of issues she wants further evidence on, with a special prosecutor still on the table. A key sticking point appears to be the disclos...
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Apparently I owe my barber an apology for how his handiwork showed up in my first ever courtroom sketch.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
That was precisely the point Judge Perry was making.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I am so grateful for the support of @meredithshiner.com who was there for me and my family throughout the Broadview Six ordeal.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
U.S. District Judge April Perry has taken the bench to hear oral arguments over the potential consequences of apparent prosecutorial misconduct in the “Broadview Six” case.
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Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
U.S. District Judge April Perry is turning to the special prosecutor question — saying the former defendants don't "have any particular stake." Her questions will be for the government and attorneys for Sheri Mecklenburg.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
In my experience, the best place to get live updates of what is happening during today's hearing is by following @jonseidel.bsky.social here on @bsky.app. Today's hearing starts at 1 pm.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
We're less than an hour away from today's "Broadview Six" hearing. You can follow me here for live updates, but the @chicago.suntimes.com will also have up-to-date coverage here: chicago.suntimes.com/live/broadvi...
chicago.suntimes.com
'Broadview Six' case returns to court as judge weighs sanctions against feds: Live updates
U.S. District Judge April Perry is set to hear arguments Thursday over potential consequences for prosecutors in the politically charged case.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Meredith Shiner @meredithshiner.com · 01/10/2026
dream booth. the Benetti and Stone of Dirksen.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 01/10/2026
BREAKING: judge dismisses case against reflecting pool defendant Davey Hearn WITH PREJUDICE- meaning the DoJ can’t ever bring charges against him in this matter. www.ms.now/deadline-whi...
ms.now
Judge permanently dismisses David Hearn Reflecting Pool indictment
The Trump Justice Department sought a temporary dismissal. Hearn wanted his charges tossed for good.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Fair. Everybody should follow @jonseidel.bsky.social for play-by-play and @meredithshiner.com for color commentary.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
In my experience, the best place to get live updates of what is happening during today's hearing is by following @jonseidel.bsky.social here on @bsky.app. Today's hearing starts at 1 pm.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"Defendants will be prepared to discuss the materiality of the information contained in Ms. Mecklenburg’s 'Forced Resignation letter,' which reinforces Defendants’ position that there are ripe factual disputes concerning positions taken by the U.S. Attorney’s Office ... at Thursday’s hearing."
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
"Defendants will be prepared to discuss the materiality of the information contained in Ms. Mecklenburg’s 'Forced Resignation letter,' which reinforces Defendants’ position that there are ripe factual disputes concerning positions taken by the U.S. Attorney’s Office ... at Thursday’s hearing."
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Arts and crafts on a Sunday afternoon.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Remembering a year of loss and a year of standing up for each other.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Remembering a year of loss and a year of standing up for each other.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
We came out to Broadview last year to protest our neighbors’ unlawful detention and the inhumane conditions inside the facility. We came back because our community cannot forget those still detained, our neighbors still being taken off our streets, and the unconstitutional tactics of our own gov't.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It seems like discovery is necessary to determine the truth of this disputed factual issue. 🤷‍♂️ There can be no justice without both transparency and accountability.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
“I think me and the rest of the members of the Broadview Six ... understand better than most that this administration ... wants us to be afraid to stand up, but it’s important to show that we’re still standing ... for the rights and dignity of the humans who are being detained inside this facility."
oakpark.com
'Broadview Six' members reunite at ICE facility one year later
Over 30 people gathered outside of the Broadview ICE detention facility this Friday marking one year since "Broadview Six" arrests.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Nearly 4,000 people from the Chicagoland area were detained in operation midway blitz. Thousands were deported. These people, our neighbors, were not the so called “worst of the worst” that the administration claimed. They were children, parents, neighbors, small business owners and friends.
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Michael Rabbitt @michaelrabbitt.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
“This massive failure, like many of the Justice Department’s overzealous charges, shows that most of these charges are rushed, and pushed by attorneys who are extensions of the Trump administration rather than independent adjudicators of the law.”
newrepublic.com
DOJ Prosecutor Quits, Says She Was Given Orders on “Broadview Six”
The prosecutor on the Broadview Six case said she is “retiring under protest” thanks to U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
kate b. @katebitz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
it’s very interesting in a depressing way to see how prosecutors are responding to the evident demands from the admin to pursue these conspiracy cases. ie, here in spokane the then acting US atty resigned rather than sign the indictments: www.spokesman.com/stories/2026...
spokesman.com
Former leader of federal prosecutors in Spokane criticizes outcome of ICE protest trial, the first of its kind locally
The push to pursue, charge and later convict three Spokane residents of federal conspiracy against a government officer during a protest is the first-known case in Eastern Washington’s history, concer...
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It seems like discovery is necessary to determine the truth of this disputed factual issue. 🤷‍♂️ There can be no justice without both transparency and accountability.
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Sheri Mecklenburg's full retirement letter to Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros:
SHERI H. MECKLENBURG
Andrew Boutros
US Attorney
219 S. Dearborn Street, Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60604
By email
Re: My Forced Retirement Dear Mr. Boutros:
Pursuant to this letter, I retire under protest from DOJ, effective immediately. To avoid any misunderstanding or misstatements about the reasons for my forced retirement, I set them forth in this letter.
As you learned on September 22, 2026, I intended to seek leave to intervene in the Broadview Six case to defend myself against the continuing allegations of “pervasive misconduct” in the defense lawyers’ reply brief, and against the false and inflammatory accusations in that brief. Those false accusations include that (1) I “sat silently by” while the Court addressed transcript redactions— when I was unaware of both the redactions and the hearings; and (2) I “outright lied” to the grand jury—which I did not.
You learned of my intended motion when I sought permission to alert Judge Perry to Section 4.4 of the DOJ’s Grand Jury Manual. That provision of the Manual directs prosecutors to ask whether any potentially biased grand juror can set aside any bias and decide the matter fairly and objectively, and if not, to advise that the juror should self-excuse. The provision strongly supports my handling of the situation at issue in the Broadview case on October 16, 2025. The Government’s submission omitted any reference to this relevant and critical provision.
Because DOJ required me to sign a confidentiality agreement covering the Manual and other materials, I requested authorization to cite it in the Motion to Intervene. The senior U.S. Attorney's Office official coordinating my access to the materials initially advised my attorney that he did not believe there would be any problem with my citing to that provision of the Manual. A short time later, however, that same official informed my counsel that he had consulted with the Front Office who advised that, as a current DOJ employee, I am prohibited from filing anything t…Preventing me from defending myself is particularly reprehensible given the Office’s failure to adequately defend me. The Office’s tardy acknowledgement in its response brief that I did nothing to warrant sanctions was incomplete and does not erase the incredible damage caused by your prior statements. Beyond omitting the key Grand Jury Manual provision, the Office’s brief withheld the fact that I repeatedly sought guidance from, kept informed, and followed the directions of the Front Office—including you—at every consequential stage. It is telling that neither you nor anyone preparing the Office’s response consulted with me or my attorneys about the relevant facts and defenses before filing it. The Office did not fully present the facts supporting my conduct. It now seeks to prevent me from presenting those facts myself.
This decision to keep me and my attorneys in the dark was consistent with your handling of this matter from the outset. No one consulted me about any transcript redactions. I had nothing to hide and in fact demonstrated quite the opposite in memorializing brief and incidental interactions with two grand jurors. You declined to notify me about the May 21, 2026 Court hearing, which I had the indignity of learning about after-the-fact from the media. I would have expected the leadership of the Office to ensure that a career prosecutor whose conduct and reputation were about to be publicly condemned received notice and an opportunity to be heard. Had I been afforded that basic fairness at the outset, I believe matters would not have reached this point.
Since I was not present, I was a convenient target to be scapegoated and publicly vilified. You recklessly agreed in court that I had committed misconduct without even asking for my account, fully reviewing the record or briefing the law. That evening, you sent an office-wide email laying responsibility at my feet for a felony prosecution that you personally directed over my objection that the case was b…made retirement the only way for me to defend myself without forfeiting the healthcare benefits I earned through decades of government service.
You repeatedly described me as a “by-the-book” prosecutor, including in an email dated December 21, 2025. That is what I have always tried to be. I do not contend that every word I used or everything I did before the grand jury was done perfectly, and I remain prepared to address legitimate scrutiny of my actions. But legitimate scrutiny is not the same as scapegoating, and accountability does not require silence in the face of demonstrably false accusations.
I still expect a full and fair opportunity to address the allegations against me and restore my reputation. I also would have expected, at some point during the past four months, that the leaders who directed or approved the prosecution would accept responsibility for their own roles and decisions rather than assigning the consequences to me alone.
I have been a public servant for more than 27 years, serving almost the last two decades as a federal prosecutor. I have served well and am proud of my public service.
Please treat this letter as notice of my retirement under protest, effective immediately. Please advise my counsel whom I should contact to arrange for the retrieval of my personal belongings from the Office.
Sincerely,
Sheri H. Mecklenburg
Sheri H. Mecklenburg
cc: Vicky Gehrt, USAO Human Resources Officer (by email) Sergio E. Acosta, Esq.
Joel D. Bertocchi, Esq.
Jason Yonan, First Assistant U.S. Attorney (by email)
Rick Young, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Chief (by email)
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The hearing next Thursday should be quite interesting.
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Liz Dye @lizdye.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
JFC Sheri Mecklenberg's resignation letter says USA Boutros made her charge the Broadview 6 as a felony conspiracy, when she wanted to charge them as misdemeanors. "you cannot buy my silence by dangling continued leave" s3.documentcloud.org/documents/28...
This decision to keep me and my attorneys in the dark was consistent with your handling of this
matter from the outset. No one consulted me about any transcript redactions. I had nothing to hide
and in fact demonstrated quite the opposite in memorializing brief and incidental interactions with
two grand jurors. You declined to notify me about the May 21, 2026 Court hearing, which I had
the indignity of learning about after-the-fact from the media. I would have expected the leadership
of the Office to ensure that a career prosecutor whose conduct and reputation were about to be
publicly condemned received notice and an opportunity to be heard. Had I been afforded that basic
fairness at the outset, I believe matters would not have reached this point.
Since I was not present, I was a convenient target to be scapegoated and publicly vilified. You
recklessly agreed in court that I had committed misconduct without even asking for my account,
fully reviewing the record or briefing the law. That evening, you sent an office-wide email laying
responsibility at my feet for a felony prosecution that you personally directed over my objection
that the case was better suited to misdemeanor charges. You then publicly announced an
investigation of my conduct spanning twenty years. These inexplicable actions severely damaged
a reputation I worked hard to build over decades and have damaged my prospects for future
employment and income.
Throughout all of this, I remained silent. But now the defense has leveled additional false and
inflammatory accusations against me that the Office has not rebutted and apparently has no
intention of rebutting. At the same time, you have threatened to terminate me if I attempt to rebut
the false allegations and bring additional matters to the Court’s attention. You remind me that I
am still a DOJ employee when you want to silence me, but you have not treated me as a DOJ
employee throughout this matter, including when, in May, you placed me on leave and…
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Ending a nearly 20-year career as a federal prosecutor, Sheri Mecklenburg made clear to U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros "this is not a voluntary departure." She said she'd been "scapegoated" — and Boutros had done "incredible damage." From @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
chicago.suntimes.com
‘Broadview Six’ prosecutor slams Boutros in resignation letter, saying he pushed doomed felony charges
The Chicago Sun-Times obtained a copy of Sheri Mecklenburg's retirement letter. In it, she claimed U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros directed a felony prosecution of the "Broadview Six," even though she fo...
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Reposted by Brian Straw
Jason Meisner @jmetr22b.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
JUST IN: The prosecutor at the center of the “Broadview 6” scandal penned a fiery resignation letter to U.S. Atty Andrew Boutros saying he “personally directed” her to seek felony charges not misdemeanors and then unfairly "vilified" her in court Read it here: www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/25/b...
chicagotribune.com
‘Broadview Six’ prosecutor pens fiery resignation letter saying US attorney pushed for felony charges
The now-retired prosecutor at the center of the “Broadview Six” scandal penned a fiery resignation letter to U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros this week.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
No one knows better than us how the government thinks they can intimidate us and keep us from showing up and standing up for what’s right. But one year later, we are still here. We are still standing. And we are still on the side of humanity and justice.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
We came out to Broadview last year to protest our neighbors’ unlawful detention and the inhumane conditions inside the facility. We came back because our community cannot forget those still detained, our neighbors still being taken off our streets, and the unconstitutional tactics of our own gov't.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Nearly 4,000 people from the Chicagoland area were detained in operation midway blitz. Thousands were deported. These people, our neighbors, were not the so called “worst of the worst” that the administration claimed. They were children, parents, neighbors, small business owners and friends.
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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
It’s been a year since ICE drove a car through a crowd at Broadview, leading to the federal indictment of myself and five others. Today, those of us who could returned. The state can try all it wants, but it can’t silence us or our community’s fight for justice.
From left to right

Brian Straw, a white suburban dad with a dark brown beard, glasses, orange hat, and teal quarter zip

Me, a short blonde woman in a black sweatshirt reading, “IT’S MY BODY, IT’S MY CHOICE” in two curves on my chest

Michael Rabbit, a white older man with rosy cheeks in a black hoodie

Andre Martin, a tall curly-haired man with glasses, a grey hoodie, and blue fanny pack

Yes, we feel weird taking a picture at the concentration camp.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I cannot overstate how horrifying it is watching a convoy of ICE agents rolling out into our community. How many families will those agents tear apart today?
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Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
JUST IN: The former "Broadview Six" defendants respond to Sheri Mecklenburg: They "fully support and agree" to her motion to intervene. "Ms. Mecklenburg — who is no longer subject to the threat of termination for providing information in this case — is now able to provide highly material evidence."
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) ) MICHAEL RABBITT, ) KATHERINEMARIEABUGHAZALEH, ) ANDRE MARTIN, BRIAN STRAW, ) and CATHERINE SHARP ) ) Defendants. )
No. 25 CR 693
Judge April M. Perry
DEFENDANTS’ CORRECTION OF A SCRIVENER’S ERROR IN THEIR REPLY; AND DEFENDANTS’ AGREEMENT TO / SUPPORT OF THE MOTION BY SHERI H. MECKLENBURG TO INTERVENE (DKT. 261)
Defendants Michael Rabbitt, Katherine Abughazaleh, Andre Martin, Brian Straw, and Catherine Sharp, by and through their respective attorneys, respectfully submits this Correction of a Typo in Their Reply; and Defendants’ Agreement/Support of the Motion of Sheri H. Mecklenburg to Intervene (Dkt. 261).
I. CORRECTION OF SCRIVENER’S ERROR IN DEFENDANTS’ REPLY
1. On September 24, 2026, AUSA Sheri Mecklenburg filed a Motion for Leave to Intervene in this case. In that motion, AUSA Mecklenburg points out a typo in Defendants’ Reply brief: that on page 45 of Defendants’ Reply, we inadvertently included “Experienced AUSA 1” [Ms. Mecklenburg] in a sentence regarding the prosecutors’ failure to correct the Court’s obvious misunderstanding of the facts regarding the redactions to the grand jury transcripts the government provided to the Court in camera, not once, but on two separate occasions in open court, both ofwhich occurred after Ms. Mecklenburg had left for a new assignment in Washington D.C.
2. Specifically, Defendants’ Reply stated, “And when the Court noted that only a certain number of lines of transcript were missing, “Experienced AUSA 1,” “Experienced AUSA 2,” and “Junior AUSA” sat by silently – not alerting the Court that it was mistaken and wholesale chunks of transcript including discussions of the law had been removed [from the grand jury transcripts provided to the Court in camera].” Defendants erred in including “Experienced AUSA 1” in that sentence, as Ms. Mecklenburg was not present in Court when those events occurred. It was a different experienced AUSA, in addition to “Experienced AUSA 2” and “Junior AUSA”, who was present before the Court then.
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II.
Defendants apologize for the scrivener’s error and hereby correct it.
MS. MECKLENBURG’S MOTION TO INTERVENE
As to Ms. Mecklenburg’s Motion to Intervene, Defendants agree with
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her motion and support her request to intervene.
5. We note that Ms. Mecklenburg states in her motion that until she retired, the Department of Justice expressly prohibited her from intervening – including telling her that she “could be disciplined or terminated if she did so.” (Mot. to Intervene at 9).
6. Ms. Mecklenburg clearly has substantial information that is directly relevant and material to the matters pending before the Court. One example illustrates the point: On page 12 of her motion, Ms. Mecklenburg states:The United States also omitted the fact that following her notification to the Front Office of the no bill on October 9, 2026, the U.S. Attorney [Mr. Andrew Boutros] directed Ms. Mecklenburg to order an expedited copy of the October 9 grand jury session. She did so and promptly sent it to the Front Office, including the U.S. Attorney, as instructed. (Mot. to Intervene at 12)(emphasis added).
7. This new revelation is extraordinarily important, particularly given the representations made (and material facts omitted) by the government about that expedited grand jury transcript in its Reponse brief to this Court. Thus, we now know (a) the October 9, 2025 grand jury transcript was specifically requested by U.S. Attorney Boutros, on an expedited basis; and (b) that it was sent not only to U.S. Attorney Boutros, but apparently to the entire “Front Office”.
8. In short, Ms. Mecklenburg – who is no longer subject to the threat of termination for providing information in this case – is now able to provide highly material evidence to the Court that bears directly on the issues now before it.1
9. Accordingly, Defendants fully support and agree to Ms. Mecklenburg’s Motion For Leave to Intervene here.
Respectfully submitted,
1 There are several other issues identified in her Motion about which Ms. Mecklenburg clearly has first-hand and material information. And since she has now resigned from the Department of Justice, she is no longer under threat of termination for answering questions and providing information that is necessary for the Court to have in order to decide the pending motions.
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The U.S. Attorney has repeatedly tried to disclaim any knowledge of what was happening in the Broadview 6 case. Today, the AUSA who presented the case to the Grand Jury resigned from the office and filed a brief making clear that "the Front Office [was] informed of all developments in the case."
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Brian Straw @brianstraw.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The U.S. Attorney has repeatedly tried to disclaim any knowledge of what was happening in the Broadview 6 case. Today, the AUSA who presented the case to the Grand Jury resigned from the office and filed a brief making clear that "the Front Office [was] informed of all developments in the case."
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Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros' office told Mecklenburg that she was not allowed to file anything on her own behalf as a DOJ employee, her attorneys say. So, effective today, she has retired.
Based on the positions taken by the United States and Former Defendants now that these motions have been fully briefed, Ms. Mecklenburg plainly has additional legal arguments to make and facts to provide should the Court grant either or both of Former Defendants’ motions. In this regard, the Court should be aware that, when notified (through counsel) that she intended to file a motion to intervene, the U.S. Attorney’s Office advised that, as a Department of Justice employee, Ms. Mecklenburg was not permitted to file anything on her behalf and could be disciplined or terminated if she did so. Ms. Mecklenburg then notified the U.S. Attorney’s Office that she was retiring, effective on September 24, in part so that she can address these issues on her own behalf. The additional legal issues and facts Ms. Mecklenburg would address if permitted to intervene include the following events, summarized here only as examples:
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Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
JUST IN: Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg, at the center of Chicago's "Broadview Six" scandal, has moved to intervene in the case. Her motion is here: cst.brightspotcdn.com/61/33/9eebc7...
cst.brightspotcdn.com
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