Chicago’s Top Federal Prosecutor Hospitalized with Stroke-Like Symptoms


Video: Our Spotlight Politics team of Heather Cherone and Paris Schutz talks about U.S. Attorney John Lausch’s recent hospitaliztion and more. (Produced by Alex Silets)


John Lausch, Chicago’s top federal prosecutor, was hospitalized Saturday after suffering from stroke-like symptoms, according to the spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of Illinois.

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Lausch, 51, returned home Sunday after being diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack, which is sometimes referred to as a mini-stroke, said Joseph Fitzpatrick, Lausch’s spokesperson.

Symptoms, which can include weakness on one side of the body, vision problems and slurred speech, usually last only a few minutes and don’t cause permanent damage, according to the American Stroke Association.

The symptoms are caused by a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain, according to officials.

Lausch’s symptoms “were limited and quickly subsided the same day,” Fitzpatrick said. 

Lausch, who was back in the office on Monday, “is not under any medical restrictions,” Fitzpatrick said.

Lausch, of Joliet, was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2017 and has led a series of robust public corruption investigations into Illinois politicians.

In February, President Joe Biden agreed to allow Lausch to remain in office, even after he dismissed nearly all of the other U.S. attorneys who were appointed by Trump. That decision came after an usually public dispute with Democratic U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, who urged Biden to keep Lausch in place until a permanent successor can be confirmed.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]


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