The Department of Justice is charging Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh and five others with conspiracy to impede a U.S. law enforcement officer and impeding a U.S. law enforcement officer.

Abughazaleh is running in the Democratic primary against incumbent Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Oak Park Trustee Brian Straw and 45th Ward Democratic committeeperson Michael Rabbitt were also charged in the indictment, along with Catherine Sharp, the chief of staff to Alderman Andre Vasquez and a candidate for the Cook County Board.

The indictment was unsealed yesterday.

“I have been charged in a federal indictment sought by the Department of Justice,” Abughazaleh posted on X . “This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights. I’m not backing down, and we’re going to wi

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