Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin fires Sheri Mecklenberg as Senate Judiciary Committee counsel after Broadview Six allegations

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Source: CBS News

Local News
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin fires Sheri Mecklenberg as Senate Judiciary Committee counsel after Broadview Six allegations

By Sara Tenenbaum
May 22, 2026 / 1:11 PM CDT / CBS Chicago

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has fired former federal prosecutor Sheri Mecklenberg from her role as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee following allegations of prosecutorial misconduct with the grand jury in the Broadview Six case.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros dismissed all charges against the defendants in the case stemming from a protest outside the Broadview ICE facility in September 2025 on Thursday, telling a judge there was "improper handling of grand jury proceedings" by the lead prosector in the case.

Judge April Perry, summarizing the unredacted grand jury transcript she had reviewed, pointed out several glaring issues she had found, including improper "prosecutorial vouching," in which an assistant U.S. attorney put "her personal credibility and trustworthiness on the line in support of the charges." ...The same prosecutor also apparently excused grand jurors "who disagreed with the government's case" when presented with it during the first of three sessions, asking them "to not partake in the second hearing," the judge said.

According to a transcript of the closed-door hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Skiba reluctantly pointed the finger at Mecklenberg, telling Perry he'd only started as a prosecutor in July 2026 and the grand jury proceedings in the Broadview Six case was only his second time before a grand jury.

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Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/dick-durbin-fires-sheri-mecklenberg-senate-judiciary-committee-counsel-broadview-six/

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Reposted by Chris Geidner
https://bsky.app/profile/chrisgeidner.bsky.social

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Jose Pagliery
‪@josepagliery.bsky.social‬

This morning, reporters asked why the prosecutor at the heart of the Broadview Six scandal — who could face sanctions for misconduct — was working on a DOJ detail with Senate Judiciary Committee democrats.

Sen. Durbin's office just announced she's been dismissed.

https://www.notus.org/courts/durbin-senate-judiciary-protestors-broadview-prosecution

The Prosecutor at the Center of a Botched DOJ Case Was Working For Senate Democrats
Sheri Mecklenburg had been assigned to work for the minority on the Judiciary Committee, but ranking member Dick Durbin said she had been dismissed on Friday.
www.notus.org
2:08 PM · May 22, 2026
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This morning, reporters asked why the prosecutor at the heart of the Broadview Six scandal — who could face sanctions for misconduct — was working on a DOJ detail with Senate Judiciary Committee democrats.

Sen. Durbin's office just announced she's been dismissed.

www.notus.org/courts/durbi...

— Jose Pagliery (@josepagliery.bsky.social) 2026-05-22T18:08:02.968Z