Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin fires Sheri Mecklenberg as Senate Judiciary Committee counsel after Broadview Six allegations
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.
"I am not trying to deflect blame, but I was with a 20-years-plus senior veteran," Skiba said about the "vouching." "I remember thinking at the time that I would never make that statement as a matter of personal style. What I did not know then, and what only became apparent as we were discussing dismissing these charges, is that's beyond personal style, and that is, at a minimum, arguably misconduct."
Mecklenberg left the U.S. Attorney's Office in February to serve as counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which Durbin is the highest ranking Democrat.
"Senator Durbin agrees with Judge Perry's concerns about this deeply flawed prosecution," a spokesperson for Durbin said in a statement confirming her termination. " Our office had no knowledge of this alleged misconduct until yesterday's reporting. While the Senate Judiciary Committee doesn't directly employ Sheri Mecklenberg, because of the gravity of the charges in this case, her detail from the Department of Justice has been terminated."
Attorneys representing the Broadview Six aid they will move for sanctions in the wake of the charges being dismissed, and Judge Perry told them they may be entitle to a hearing on whether the case against the Broadview Six was a mater of "vindictive prosecution."
Capitol News Illinois reporter Hannah Meisel and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Attorney Chris Parente also said they intend to file a claim with the Justice Department's new "anti-weaponization" fund for financial relief for their clients.
Mecklenberg served as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Department of Justice more than five years and an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois for more than 12 years.
