Douglas DePodesta says he was made ‘scapegoat’ after collapse of case against Broadview Six anti-ICE protesters

The former head of the FBI in Chicago has accused the Trump administration of pressuring him to investigate the president’s political opponents and making him a “scapegoat” after a major federal case against anti-ICE protesters fell apart.

Douglas DePodesta, who served as FBI special agent in charge from 2024 until July 2026, alleged in a federal lawsuit filed on Monday that the Department of Justice (DoJ) had engaged in “misconduct” and “malfeasance” in its pursuit of unjust prosecutions – and that he was wrongly blamed for the DoJ’s missteps and unlawfully forced out of his job.

The suit names Kash Patel, the FBI director; Todd Blanche, the attorney general; and Andrew Boutros, the US attorney who leads the DoJ’s Chicago office.

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8 comments in c/news@lemmy.world view that post
[–] 62 points 5 days ago* (2 children)

I like the lawsuit and I'm glad this dirty laundry is being aired, but it sounds like DePodesta was fine with doing Trump's bidding until the leopards ate his face.

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  • [+] 32 points 5 days ago (3 children)
  • [–] 16 points 5 days ago (1 child)

    First rat off the sinking ship?

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  • 3 comments in c/progressivepolitics@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 11 points 4 days ago (1 child)

    DePodesta’s suit suggests the US attorney’s office in particular faced pressure from the Trump administration to bring charges against Kat Abughazaleh, an activist who then was running for Congress.

    Yep, we all figured this was the case. She should sue, keep her profile high for her next run.

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  • [–] [S] 9 points 4 days ago

    We're going to see a whole lot more of these lawsuits in the coming years I think. People who were pressured to leverage their offices for political corruption are going to be wanting to cover their asses.

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  • 1 comment in c/politics@lemmy.dbzer0.com view that post
    [–] 1 point 4 days ago

    Heck yeah. Finding out phase, begin!

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