Federal prosecutors to drop conspiracy charge against remaining 'Broadview Six' ICE protesters

Federal prosecutors in Chicago say they will dismiss the controversial conspiracy charge against the remaining four members of the so-called “Broadview Six,” with plans to revise the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hogan shared the news with U.S. District Judge April Perry during a status hearing in the case Wednesday. Hogan said prosecutors plan to file a new charging document, focused on the remaining misdemeanor counts against the defendants who demonstrated last fall against Operation Midway Blitz.

The revelation came during a hearing scheduled by Perry late last week. At the time, she told prosecutors to bring with them unredacted copies of transcripts showing how prosecutors had explained the law in the case to grand jurors.

By dropping the conspiracy count, the feds avoided having to share those transcripts with the judge.

Charged in the case are former congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, Oak Park village Trustee Brian Straw, 45th Ward Democratic committeeperson Michael Rabbitt and Andre Martin, a former member of Abughazaleh’s campaign staff. All four are involved in local Democratic politics.

The four are set to go to trial May 26. The case revolves around events on the morning of Sept. 26 outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. The four defendants were accused of joining a group that surrounded an ICE agent’s vehicle and pushed, scratched and otherwise damaged it.

To read the full report, visit chicago.suntimes.com.