Former Chicago FBI chief Douglas DePodesta sues Kash Patel over failed protest case, says he was kicked out: ‘I was ordered to leave my job’

A former FBI official is suing FBI Director Kash Patel and several senior administration figures, claiming he was forced to resign after a controversial prosecution of immigration enforcement protesters collapsed, according to The Hill. Douglas DePodesta, who led the FBI’s Chicago field office for nearly two years, alleges that a federal prosecutor blamed him for the case’s failure to deflect attention from his own handling of the proceedings.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, names U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros, Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, the Department of Justice, and the FBI as defendants. DePodesta accuses Boutros of orchestrating his removal after bringing what the complaint describes as politically motivated prosecutions that became an unprecedented disaster for his office.

“I was forced to leave my job,” DePodesta told the Chicago Sun-Times in an interview, adding that “I was ordered to leave my job.” He is seeking reinstatement, back pay, compensatory damages, and attorney’s fees.

The lawsuit stems from the “Broadview Six” scandal

The dispute centers on the prosecution of six people who participated in a September 26, 2025, demonstration outside an ICE processing center in Broadview, Illinois. More than a hundred people gathered at the facility to protest the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which was being carried out through Operation Midway Blitz.

Prosecutors accused six demonstrators, including former congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, of conspiring to impede a federal officer. “Persons close to the Trump administration called for criminal prosecution of the protesters, particularly Kat Abughazaleh,” DePosta claimed.

Authorities alleged that protesters surrounded and damaged an ICE officer’s vehicle during the demonstration. However, the case later fell apart amid allegations of prosecutorial misconduct. The grand jury proceedings were also found to have been tainted, and prosecutors eventually dropped the charges against the remaining defendants.

The collapse prompted criticism of Boutros, with several Illinois lawmakers calling for his resignation. DePodesta’s lawsuit claims that Boutros responded by pressuring senior Justice Department officials in Washington to hold the former FBI chief responsible for the prosecution’s failure.

According to the complaint, Boutros sought to shift scrutiny away from his office’s handling of the case, ultimately contributing to DePodesta’s removal. The lawsuit describes the charges brought against the protesters as politically motivated and alleges that the prosecutor’s actions led to DePodesta being forced out. He is now asking the court to hold the administration officials and federal agencies named in his complaint accountable.