Hannah Meisel

Legal affairs reporter for @CapitolNewsIL. Voted class clown in high school, though I’d like to think I’ve reformed. [email protected] 🍋

[Hannah Meisel @hannahmeisel]

I'm maybe the worst ~political reporter~ ever because I HATE covering elections.
There's also a near-constant din of worry in my head re: the toxic state of American politics/the (small) role I play in that.
How can we do better? Some thoughts I wrote for @inbatweets' newsletter:

[Capitol Fax @capitolfax]

Meisel to journos: Reconnect politics to governing https://t.co/XhjFMxmTmJ

[Jerry Nowicki @NowickiPress]

Caught up with @ILTreasurer - still in Italy - about his gift to the pontiff yesterday: Illinois treasurer’s gift to Pope Leo? $8.65 of pontiff’s own money
https://t.co/UYo8ws9qPn

[Jon Seidel @SeidelContent]

JUST IN: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says the Justice Department "fully supports [Chicago] U.S. Attorney [Andrew] Boutros."

[Gregory Royal Pratt @royalpratt]

Border Patrol agents smashed a man’s car window and tased him while he was waiting for his pregnant wife at her doctor’s appointment. He’s been locked up since then. A judge just ordered his release. Story by @jmetr22b @LAURA_N_ROD
https://t.co/cUFQ850Lgo

[Hannah Meisel @hannahmeisel]

@holloway93457 Yes. @BenSzalinski’s story from last May: https://t.co/lIVK9Tm3Bq

[Hannah Meisel @hannahmeisel]

Welch: “He doesn’t even speak to me as a member of this body. He has every right to come talk to me and apologize to me, apologize to our caucus, apologize to his district.”

Crespo: “I’m still not sure exactly what it is that he claims I did wrong.”

A case study 👀

[Capitol News Illinois @CapitolNewsIL]

House Speaker Chris Welch and Fred Crespo are not on speaking terms a year after Welch removed him from the Democratic caucus. @benszalinski reports on what both men are now saying about the situation. https://t.co/8l6eQJxYKT

[Jeremy Gorner @JeremyGorner]

SPRINGFIELD—Gov. JB Pritzker’s multiunit housing plans for Illinois stall in Springfield’s spring session, from @oliviaolanderr. https://t.co/bqDpEbKttC

[Treasurer Michael Frerichs @ILTreasurer]

His bank may have hung up on Pope Leo last month, but no phone was needed today at the Vatican. Treasurer Frerichs presented Pope Leo with an I-Cash claim for $8.65, proceeds from an abandoned PayPal account the Pope left in Illinois.

[Jon Seidel @SeidelContent]

U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia has joined others calling for Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros to resign:

[Hannah Meisel @hannahmeisel]

The failed "Broadview Six" case has already been a rare window into a tightly guarded process⤵️
But there will be more: Friday is the deadline for parties to submit agreed (or disputed) redactions in the grand jury transcripts. At some point after that, they'll be made public.

[Capitol News Illinois @CapitolNewsIL]

In the latest twist in an already dramatic case, U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros on Tuesday acknowledged a speech to a grand jury the morning it indicted the “Broadview Six,” while former defendants demand attorneys’ fees. @hannahmeisel reports. https://t.co/CxROwGVRlS

[Scott Fornek @sfornek]

'ICE agents shock man with Taser, barrel into car during chaotic arrest in Albany Park.'
@_ViMiller reports.
https://t.co/TxgdOyr7e5

[Capitol News Illinois @CapitolNewsIL]

In the latest twist in an already dramatic case, U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros on Tuesday acknowledged a speech to a grand jury the morning it indicted the “Broadview Six,” while former defendants demand attorneys’ fees. @hannahmeisel reports. https://t.co/CxROwGVRlS

[Hannah Meisel @hannahmeisel]

In the defense's motion for sanctions demanding the DOJ pay attorney's fees (likely first of many amendments as this post-case phase moves forward), this first lengthy footnote responds to today's "special report" from Boutros' office.

[Hannah Meisel @hannahmeisel]

In response to last Monday's accusation in court that U.S. Atty Andrew Boutros himself had personal contact with the "Broadview Six" grand jury, Boutros releases a "special report" including grand jury minutes that he says amount to a scrivener's error: https://t.co/u3Ilg2t0gX

[Capitol News Illinois @CapitolNewsIL]

How Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s 60 Democratic vote rule works and helps decide when a bill will be called. @benszalinski reports. https://t.co/qpR6V2SxPs

[Jerry Nowicki @NowickiPress]

Every adjournment week has a thousand stories to tell - and I end up taking 1,000 photos too. Here's a thread to some of my favorites from the final few days.

#1: A tired Bill Cunningham drops a bombshell on the assembled press (context: https://t.co/ngRDPBxJyA)

[Capitol News Illinois @CapitolNewsIL]

An Illinois law banning “swipe fees” on taxes and tips — already delayed twice by lawmakers — appears to be on life support after a judge’s recent ruling. @nowickipress reports. https://t.co/ka3AWnRZ4b

[Hannah Meisel @hannahmeisel]

Boutros spoke to the grand jury the morning of Oct. 23 (the day of the the Broadview Six indictment, though the indictment didn't become public until Oct. 30).
He asked potential grand jurors were if they felt they could be fair (not unlike jury trial). Apparently no one said no.

[Hannah Meisel @hannahmeisel]

In response to last Monday's accusation in court that U.S. Atty Andrew Boutros himself had personal contact with the "Broadview Six" grand jury, Boutros releases a "special report" including grand jury minutes that he says amount to a scrivener's error: https://t.co/u3Ilg2t0gX

[Capitol News Illinois @CapitolNewsIL]

A defense attorney for one of the “Broadview Six” immigration protesters alleged in court Tuesday that he had “reason to believe” U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros had personal contact with members of the grand jury. @hannahmeisel reports https://t.co/9VdZkjhEnh

[104.3 The Score @thescorechicago]

.@brendenmoore13: "There’s a lot of blame to (go) around. The legislature and governor are not blameless. But if you talk to people in Springfield ... there’s a name that keeps coming up as a common denominator for why the Bears have had so many issues. And that's Kevin Warren."

[104.3 The Score @thescorechicago]

.@SenCunningham: "Working with the Bears has been frustrating from the beginning. They've pivoted between various plans."

Cunningham adds the Bears' more recent "backchannel discussions" with the city of Chicago "completely undermined their efforts in Springfield."

[Hannah Meisel @hannahmeisel]

A bit late, but this is my official stance on the Chicago delegation’s trip to see the Pope 🌭