CHICAGO (AP) — The new U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois says President Donald Trump never tried to speak to him before the president nominated him for the position.
John R. Lausch Jr. told reporters on Wednesday in his first interview since he was sworn in late last year that he still hasn’t spoken to the president.
Trump was criticized after reports that he interviewed U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman before Berman was appointed interim U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, where Trump has business interests. The Trump International Hotel and Tower is in downtown Chicago.
Trump has long said not enough is being done to combat violent crime in Chicago. But Lausch says prosecuting violent crime cases remains a priority for his office and there’s been no interference from the administration.
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