Justice Department Fires Prosecutor in 6-Count ICE Shooting Case Amid Leak Probe

Q: What secret information did the fired prosecutor allegedly leak to trigger a federal probe?

It has not been publicly established what specific “secret” information Matthew Evans allegedly leaked. What is known from the reporting is that the Justice Department is examining alleged leaks tied to the Christian Castro case. The most likely subject is Evans’ reported communication to attorneys for Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and other victims that Castro would probably be charged only with false statements, not with a more serious civil-rights offense, and that this outcome was being directed by senior Justice Department leadership and the U.S. attorney despite Evans’ objections. Some reporting goes a bit further, saying Evans is being investigated for alleged obstruction of a grand jury probe, which suggests authorities may suspect disclosure of confidential information related to charging deliberations or grand jury matters. But no outlet cited here identifies any confirmed leaked document or specific nonpublic fact beyond the reported email and Evans’ account of internal charging decisions. So the short answer is: the alleged leak has not been clearly disclosed publicly, though it appears to center on nonpublic internal deliberations over whether Castro would face only false-statements charges or also a civil-rights charge.

3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Sep 4

Matthew Evans, a Minnesota assistant U.S. attorney who investigated ICE officer Christian Castro over a January shooting, was fired as the Justice Department investigates allegations he leaked case information, according to CBS sources.
A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Castro on Wednesday, but sources said the sealed case charges false statements rather than civil-rights crimes tied to the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.
ProPublica reported Evans told lawyers for Sosa-Celis and other victims that Main Justice and the U.S. attorney overruled his push for stronger charges, quoting an email saying he "objected in the strongest possible terms."
The shooting case had already unraveled official accounts: prosecutors dropped charges against Sosa-Celis and Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna after video and other evidence contradicted ICE testimony, and ICE's then-chief said two officers made untruthful sworn statements.
Castro was taken into custody in Texas on Thursday and is due in court Friday, after a separate fight over Minnesota state charges and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's refusal to extradite him.