Attorneys Lausch and Milhiser without successors nominated and confirmed by the U. Senate, " they said. Milhiser recently announced a criminal indictment against former state Sen. Sam McCann. "There is precedent for allowing a U. attorney to remain in office until successors are confirmed, and we strongly believe both should be allowed to do so, " the Republicans said. Lausch's departure provided a fertile issue for the new chair of the Illinois Republican Party Don Tracy, elected Saturday. Madigan, dumped as speaker, remains chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Tracy in a statement applauded Lausch for "dismantling the corrupt Democratic Machine one crony at a time. " Said Tracy, "Joe Biden cares more about settling scores with Trump than he does standing up for the people of Illinois who desperately want a government that works for them — not for politicians. If Mike Madigan faces no consequences for his party's corruption, he can now thank Joe Biden for protection. "
A series of long-running public corruption investigations, most dealing with Democrats, went public under Lausch's tenure. They led to the racketeering indictment in May 2019 of Ald. Edward M. Burke, as well as the bribery charges leveled last year against ComEd and four members of then-House Speaker Michael Madigan's inner circle. Though the ComEd case implicated Madigan, he has not been charged with a crime and denies wrongdoing. Court records show the origins of those cases date back to before Lausch took over. Other elected officials to face criminal charges while Lausch served as Chicago's top prosecutor include state Sen. Thomas Cullerton, former Sen. Terry Link, the late former Sen. Martin Sandoval, former state Rep. Luis Arroyo, former Cook County Commissioner Jeff Tobolski and Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta. In November, the Sun-Times reported Durbin and Duckworth said they had "confidence" in Lausch and wanted him to remain on the job. In a statement, Durbin and Duckworth said Lausch should not be terminated immediately.
Tone deaf and disrespectful. ' Another added: 'Styling up old stereotypes of hospital practices to really embed stigma. Great work guys at Vogue. Perfect if we want to take another step backwards for those fearing to get help of those scared of judgement.. ' The cover, which appears in Vogue's 'Madness Issue' for July and August, was criticised by social media users, who brandished it as 'vile' and 'appalling' The magazine shared the image on social media alongside the message: 'THE MADNESS ISSUE. It's about love. It's about you. It's about now. It's about health. It's about mental health. #themadnessissue. It's about time. ' Jo Loughran, Director of Time to Change, the mental health anti-stigma campaign run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, told: 'Today, in a time where there is arguably more awareness of mental health problems than ever before, it's disappointing to see this outdated depiction of a psychiatric hospital - especially on the cover of such a high-profile magazine. The magazine has been contacted for comment.
Lausch and all but two U. attorneys appointed by Trump who have not yet moved on were asked to submit resignations by Feb. 28 in a Tuesday conference call with Acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at her Tuesday briefing that requesting U. attorneys to resign at the start of a new presidency has been "commonplace among previous administrations, and we look forward to working with the Senate to swiftly fill these openings in the coming weeks. The president has also made clear he wants to restore the independence of the Department of Justice and to ensure it remains free of any undue political influence. " What is not as commonplace is the backstory when it comes to the Chicago spot: In a Senate defined by partisanship, Trump, Durbin and Duckworth supported Lausch. He was confirmed on a voice vote for a four-year term on Nov. 9, 2017. Lausch managed a somewhat significant feat in the last three years, maintaining the support of Illinois' Democratic senators while serving as the Justice Department's top prosecutor in Chicago under a Republican administration that enjoyed little popularity in the city.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden triggered a political storm in Illinois on Tuesday, uniting the Democratic senators, four House GOP members and the Illinois Republican Party in protesting his move to fire Chicago-based U. S. Attorney John Lausch while he is overseeing public corruption probes and prosecutions of top Democrats in the state. Sen. Dick Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who Biden considered as his vice presidential pick, said they were not consulted about the move and do not want Lausch to step down at this time. On Feb. 22 and 23, Durbin will preside over the confirmation hearing of Merrick Garland, the Lincolnwood-raised federal appeals court judge who is Biden's choice for attorney general, with a committee vote set for March 1. One of Garland's missions will be to reverse ex-President Donald Trump's politicization of the Justice Department. U. attorneys are nominated by a president and must be confirmed by the Senate. Presidents have the power to fire U. attorneys.
The cover - one of four the fashion magazine has designed for it's 'The Madness Issue' for July/August - shows a woman naked in a bathtub with two nurses pouring water over her. The image has been called 'vile' and 'appalling' for using stereotypes of mental illness and psychiatric hospitals after it was shared on social media. The front cover of Vogue Portugal's 'Madness Issue' for July and August has been slammed for stereotyping mental illness and psychiatric hospitals Fashion writer Hannah Tindle wrote: 'So Vogue Portugal's July/August 2020 issue is titled 'The Madness Issue' and uses the aesthetic of a psychiatric hospital as it's cover. Who is approving this s***???. ' Model Sara Sampaio said: 'This kind of photo should not be representing the conversation about mental health! I think it's very bad taste! ' One Twitter user posted: 'Absolutely vile. I'd happily swap my experience of watching my brother be sectioned many times in pure agony for the writers/editors of this to experience the same thing.
"While we agree with the Biden administration's criminal justice agenda, we are disappointed with the decision to terminate U. Attorney Lausch without consulting us. In 2017, our nonpartisan screening committee gave its support for Mr. Lausch to serve in this position, and the Senate confirmed him unanimously. "While the president has the right to remove U. attorneys, there is precedent for U. attorneys in the Northern District of Illinois to remain in office to conclude sensitive investigations. We believe Mr. Lausch should be permitted to continue in his position until his successor is confirmed by the Senate, and we urge the Biden administration to allow him to do so. " Four of the five Illinois House Republicans — Adam Kinzinger, Darin LaHood, Rodney Davis and Mary Miller — said in a statement Biden should not fire Lausch and U. Attorney John Milhiser of the Springfield-based Central District of Illinois until their replacements are confirmed. "While U. attorneys ultimately serve at the pleasure of the president, we believe it would be reckless and irresponsible for President Biden to fire U.