Boutros, Prosecutors to Testify Under Oath Nov. 16

A federal judge in Illinois has ordered four prosecutors, including U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros, to testify under oath about alleged prosecutorial misconduct.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Boutros, Prosecutors to Testify Under Oath Nov. 16

Live Poll

Do you trust federal prosecutors to tell courts the truth?

Judge April Perry ordered U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros and three assistant U.S. Attorneys to testify under oath on Nov. 16. The order follows the Justice Department's Oct. 30 refusal to provide evidence the judge requested in her inquiry into whether willful false statements were made to the court.

Why it matters

Perry concluded there is more than an adequate factual basis to examine whether false statements were made during a September 2025 grand jury process that led to the indictment of Oak Park Village Trustee Brian Straw and five others. The outcome could affect how Northern Illinois federal prosecutions are conducted and reviewed.

Judge April Perry's 7-page order directs four federal prosecutors to testify under oath on Nov. 16, after the Justice Department declined on Oct. 30 to provide requested evidence. The government objected to appointing a third party with subpoena power to investigate, and the scope of the Nov. 16 testimony regarding grand jury redactions remains unsettled.

The players

Judge April Perry

A federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois who issued the order requiring prosecutors to testify under oath about alleged misconduct.

Andrew Boutros

The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, whose statements to the court on May 21 are part of the inquiry.

U.S. Department of Justice

The federal department that declined to provide the evidence Judge Perry requested and objected to a third-party investigator being appointed.

The details

Perry ordered the prosecutors to appear before the court and stated she will accept testimony from any former or current employee of the U.S. Attorney's Office or federal law enforcement agency with first-hand knowledge. The inquiry covers the grand jury proceedings tied to a protest at the Broadview ICE detention facility and statements U.S. Attorney Boutros made to the court on May 21.

September 2025: Grand jury process leads to indictment of six protesters, including Oak Park Village Trustee Brian Straw.
May 21: U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros makes statements to the court at issue in the inquiry.
October 1: An hour-long hearing on voluntary compliance is held.
October 30: The Justice Department files a response declining to provide the requested evidence.
November 16: Boutros and three assistant U.S. Attorneys are scheduled to testify under oath.

Legal Context

The inquiry tests how far a federal court can probe grand jury materials that Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) generally keeps secret. Judicial demands for prosecutorial testimony on grand jury conduct are uncommon and could shape how courts in this district review future indictments tied to protest cases.

Residents of Oak Park and Broadview, where the protest and indictments originated, may see how federal prosecutions tied to local demonstrations are reviewed in court. The outcome could affect how protest-related charges are handled across Northern Illinois.

The takeaway

Court oversight of grand jury conduct can require prosecutors to answer under oath when their statements to a judge are questioned. Readers following Illinois federal cases can track the Nov. 16 testimony as the record develops.

What happens next

Boutros and three assistant U.S. Attorneys are scheduled to testify under oath on Nov. 16, when the grand jury transcripts and their redactions are expected to be addressed.