WASHINGTON — The Biden White House said Sunday that John Lausch will continue as the U.S. Attorney based in Chicago, confirming the Chicago Sun-Times report last week that he won’t be forced to resign.
President Joe Biden’s team wanted all top federal prosecutors to resign as of Sunday, with only two exceptions. Lausch became the third, with the Biden White House reversal.
“In very limited exceptions, including the Northern District of Illinois, the administration has opted not to seek new candidates for U.S. Attorney positions at this time,” said a White House official Sunday who did not want to named.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., four of the five GOP House members from Illinois, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and others wanted Lausch to remain on the job and continue to oversee multiple public corruption prosecutions and investigations of top Democrats.
Durbin and Duckworth supported the confirmation of Lausch, the nominee of ex-President Donald Trump.
The two senators asked for Lausch to stay until his successor was confirmed. The White House statement suggests it went a step further by saying there will be no search for a replacement “at this time.” Lausch’s four-year term ends in November.
