Joliet's Lausch Can Stay Longer As U.S. Attorney: Reports

JOLIET, IL — Nearly four years after being appointed as the Chicago U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois by former President Donald Trump, Joliet native John Lausch will get to stay a little longer, according to a Tuesday article in the Chicago Sun-Times.

The newspaper reported that Lausch won't have to leave the job Friday as was expected. The Sun-Times reported that one of its sources told them it is “rock solid” Lausch will stay for the time being, with the sign-off coming from the White House and the Department of Justice.

By 4 p.m. Tuesday, both of Illinois' Democrat U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, issued joint statements that were positive for Lausch, according to a story in Crain's headlined, "Lausch To Stay As Chicago's Top Federal Prosecutor."

“We are pleased the Biden Administration is acting on our request to retain U.S. Attorney Lausch until his successor is confirmed by the Senate. Mr. Lausch has served with professionalism and without partisanship," Crain's reported the statement from Durbin and Duckworth read. "While the President has the right to remove U.S. Attorneys, there is precedent for U.S. Attorneys in the Northern District of Illinois to remain in office to conclude sensitive investigations. After our repeated calls, we appreciate that Mr. Lausch will be given this opportunity.”

The Chicago Tribune reported Monday that it did not appear likely that Democrat President Joe Biden would keep Lausch around as the U.S. Attorney for Chicago.

The Tribune reported that it's fairly common for presidents of another party to appoint a new U.S. Attorney.

On Feb. 9, Patch columnist Mark Konkol blasted Biden for getting rid of Lausch as the U.S. Attorney. The long list of corruption indictments during Lausch's tenure — Chicago Ald. Edward Burke, Crestwood Mayor Lou Presta, Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski, and four state senators, to name a few — don't tell the whole story of his investigative impact.

If not for the investigation that lead to ComEd's guilty plea for engaging in a bribery scheme to benefit the most powerful politician in Illinois history, it's likely the man his office dubbed "Public Official A" — Illinois Democratic Party boss Michael Madigan — would still be House speaker, Konkol wrote.

In August 2017, Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow praised President Trump's decision to appoint Lausch as the new U.S. Attorney for the Northern Illinois District.

Glasgow, also a Democrat, brought up Lausch's name during at a news conference on an unrelated topic inside the Joliet Police Department.

"I'm going to throw in a plug for John Lausch. I'm a little off topic here," Glasgow told the room of journalists. "He's been tabbed as a potential candidate for the U.S. Attorney's Office. He headed up the anti-gang and safe neighborhoods task force for (former U.S. Attorney) Patrick Fitzgerald. He's from Joliet, Illinois, went to Joliet Catholic, played football at Harvard."

Around Joliet, Lausch is still fondly remembered as being captain of Joliet Catholic's state champion 1987 football team.

"It would be a huge addition to law enforcement down here if I can get a couple of my attorneys cross-designated with the U.S. Attorney's Office," Glasgow told reporters in 2017. "And then I would be able to work even more seamlessly with ATF and the other federal agencies."

Now 51 years old, Lausch was sworn in as U.S. attorney in November 2017 after a unanimous voice vote in the U.S. Senate.

At the time of his appointment, Lausch had been a partner at the prominent Chicago law firm of Kirkland & Ellis. He had worked there since 2010, focusing on government enforcement defense and internal investigations.

Before that, Lausch served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois for more than a decade. According to Kirkland & Ellis, Lausch was recognized in 2013 and 2014 as an "Illinois Super Lawyer" by the Super Lawyers magazine.