Video: The WTTW News Spotlight Politics team of Heather Cherone, Paris Schutz and Amanda Vinicky discusses April Perry’s nomination, NASCAR challenges and more. (Produced by Alexandra Silets)
A former ethics officer with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office has been nominated to become Chicago’s first female top federal prosecutor, President Joe Biden announced during his visit to the city Wednesday.
April Perry, who currently serves as senior counsel overseeing Global Investigations and Fraud and Abuse Prevention at GE HealthCare, would become the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois after John Lausch stepped down earlier this year.
Biden made the announcement ahead of his Chicago speech Wednesday. Morris Pasqual has served as acting U.S. Attorney in Chicago since Lausch left the office in March.
Perry — who had been touted as a potential Lausch replacement by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth — previously served from 2004 to 2016 as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Illinois.
Following that stint, Perry worked as the chief ethics officer in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office from 2017 until 2019, when she reportedly resigned her position amid the Jussie Smollett case and subsequent investigation.
Before she officially takes over as U.S. Attorney, Perry must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
