Overview
- Boutros issued a five-page special report on Tuesday saying he never sat to hear evidence and only gave a brief, 3½-minute advisory to the grand jury about their role and impartiality.
- The report says his remarks were limited to welcoming the panel and asking any juror who could not be objective to identify themselves, and that he informed Chief Judge Virginia Kendall before speaking.
- Boutros attributes claims he contacted jurors during deliberations to a court-reporter error that transcribed a reference to “AUSA Bond” as “USA (inaudible),” which he says caused a mistaken identity.
- Federal judges reviewing unredacted grand-jury minutes found separate misconduct by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg, including alleged vouching and improper contact with jurors, which led Boutros to drop charges against four defendants.
- The episode has triggered defense motions for fees and unsealing, calls from Senators Durbin and Duckworth for Boutros to resign, and prompted internal DOJ reviews that could prompt changes to grand-jury procedures nationally.