Chicago City Wire

Prominent members of the legal and law enforcement communities in the Chicago area are getting behind a recent Cook County judicial candidate to be the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Maria McCarthy, who worked as a Cook County assistant state’s attorney for 30 years, is a “smart, experienced prosecutor,” Jim McKay, an of-counsel trial attorney with Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC told Chicago City Wire.

“She’s honest, ethical and a great all-around human being,” he said.

Another supporter is former Chicago Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) spokesman Martin Preib, who now writes a Substack column “Crooked City” that covers corruption in city government, and soft-on-crime policies that have led to a marked increase in violent crime in Chicago.

“I know of few attorneys more qualified to investigate corruption in Chicago,” Preib told Chicago City Wire in an email. “Ms. McCarthy had demonstrated time and again she follows the evidence and the law and cares deeply about the justice in Chicago. She is admired by quality public servants throughout the state.”

McCarthy told Chicago City Wire that she is honored that her name is being suggested for the position, but declined further comment.  

A long-time Republican, McCarthy lost her bid in November for a judgeship in the 12th subcircuit in deep blue Cook County, but along the way picked up a long list of high-level endorsements.

“Maria has been endorsed by 27 retired Cook County judges, the North Suburban Association of Chiefs of Police, 13 retired Chiefs of Police, and several police associations and unions,” her campaign website says. “She has been found Highly Qualified, Highly Recommended, Qualified or Recommended by every bar association in Cook County.

In addition, she “was 1 of only 4 out of 61 Cook County Circuit Court judicial candidates to have been found Highly Qualified by the Chicago Bar Association,” the website said.

Over her career in law, McCarthy has handled thousands of cases, including complex and high-profile murder and rape cases, some of which have been profiled on Dateline NBC, Oxygen Network and ID Channel.

In 2022, she was appointed special prosecutor in murder cases pending in Will County.

McCarthy grew up in Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights, and attended Prospect High School, where she received the Distinguished Alumni award in 2007. She currently lives in Mount Prospect.

President-elect Donald J. Trump, who will be sworn in on Jan. 20, has named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his choice for U.S. Attorney General. Bondi must be confirmed by the Senate, which will be under Republican control next year. Trump is not expected to name any of his choices for U.S. Attorney until after he is sworn in. They must be confirmed by the Senate as well.

A U.S. attorney has broad powers in not only prosecuting criminal and civil cases brought by the federal government but also in investigating and intervening in cases on the state and county levels. 

The Northern District has more than 100 attorneys assigned to eight sections: General Crimes, Narcotics & Money Laundering, Violent Crimes, Financial Crimes, Securities & Commodities Fraud, Public Corruption & Organized Crime, National Security & Cybercrimes, and Appeals. Thirty attorneys are assigned to the civil division.

Morris Pasqual is the current Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in March 2023.