U.S. Attorney, Joliet Native John Lausch Announces Resignation

CHICAGO — John Lausch, the U.S. Attorney for Northern Illinois since 2017, will step down from his post next week, six years after he was appointed by former President Donald Trump.

Lausch, a Joliet native and former star athlete at Joliet Catholic, has overseen the department since his appointment in the fall of 2017 and has led an effort to crack down on violent crime, public corruption and other crime, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release on Wednesday. Lausch announced his resignation on Wednesday and his last day on the job will be on March 11.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Morris “Sonny” Pasqual will assume the position of United States Attorney on an acting basis, the office said. U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland announced in January that Lausch would be stepping down from his role overseeing the Northern Illinois district later in the year.

“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago,” Lausch said in a statement issued on Wednesday. “I want to thank all of my talented colleagues in the office, as well as our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, for their hard work and dedicated public service during my tenure. It was my honor each and every day to help carry out the office’s mission to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect our civil rights.”

Since being appointed by Trump, the U.S. Attorney’s Office achieved significant convictions in the areas of violent crime, public corruption, national security, financial fraud, drug trafficking and many other areas of importance, the agency said. Lausch also oversaw substantial achievements in civil cases, including procuring millions of dollars in settlements and judgments against individuals and companies for civil rights violations, health care fraud, and environmental harms.

John Lausch has served the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois and the United States with magnificent distinction,” Pasqual said in a news release. “I want to thank John for his tremendous stewardship of the office, and I wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Lausch earned his law degree in 1996 from Northwestern University School of Law, and his bachelor’s degree in 1992 from Harvard University. He previously served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 1999 to 2010.

Among other strategies, the office launched a Gun Crimes Prosecution Team to disrupt the cycle of violence in the Chicago neighborhoods most in need, as well as a Gun Trafficking Strike Force to address the illegal transfer of firearms to felons and other prohibited persons. Mr. Lausch in 2020 oversaw federal law enforcement’s collaboration with state and local law enforcement partners to respond to civil unrest and rising rates of violent crime in the Chicago area.