District Judge April Perry set a May trial date for the federal government’s case against Democratic congressional frontrunner Kat Abughazaleh and five co-defendants during a Thursday morning status hearing at the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse.
In October, Abughazaleh as well as several other Democratic candidates and elected officials were charged with conspiring to “interrupt, hinder, or impede” the activities of a federal law enforcement officer by allegedly surrounding his government vehicle at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois on Sept. 26.
During their November arraignment, each defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. The defendants each face a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison and a $350,000 fine.
The move officially pushes Abughazaleh’s trial until after the crowded March 17 Democratic primary election to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. Abughazaleh, who reported the largest fundraising haul of any candidate in 2025, has called the charges politically motivated.
Thursday’s hearing came just over a week after a contentious hearing in which federal prosecutors and defense attorneys debated how much evidence should be publicly released.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg expressed concern over tainting potential jurors by releasing body camera footage from officers at the scene, adding she “would like to try the case in the courtroom and not in the media.”
Perry ultimately agreed to preserve footage from federal agents and Broadview police officers on the four days surrounding the September protest, and the footage is now being turned over to defense attorneys.
Last week, Abughazaleh’s attorney Joshua Herman accused the federal government of misusing the conspiracy statue to criminalize “agreement” between protesters exercising their First Amendment rights.
On the campaign trail, Abughazaleh has argued her indictment stems from her continued activism against ICE during the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Midway Blitz, which brought a surge of federal agents to the Chicago area in the fall.
“This administration has been indicting people they see as effective opponents and effective critics. I am one of them,” Abughazaleh said during a speech condemning federal immigration enforcement at the Democratic Party of Evanston’s endorsement session last month. “Right now, this administration cracks down against any critics they see as effective, and frankly, it is a shame they don’t see more Democrats in that light.”
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