Chicago’s FBI boss preparing for threats in unusual election year that brings Democratic convention to town
Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler Jr. has led the FBI’s fourth-largest field office for the past year. His team is prepping for Chicago’s DNC and the Republican convention in Milwaukee, 90 miles north.
When Chicago’s FBI chief talks about the work done by the agents, analysts and others in its fourth-largest field office here, he sums it up with five words: “The best of the bureau.”
But in a world increasingly threatened by extremism and political violence — and with the Democratic National Convention set to take place in Chicago in seven short months — “It’s got to be better,” Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler Jr. insists.
“It’s just not good enough based on the new, the evolving, the breadth of the challenges, and the threats that we face nationally, globally, but specifically for Chicago,” Wheeler told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I feel like we have a more than our fair share of threat.”
That’s why, a year after taking the helm as the FBI’s special agent in charge here, Wheeler said he is making in-house changes so his team can more quickly respond to developing threats and crises. He’s doing so amid preparations for not only the Democratic convention, but also for the Republican National Convention, set to take place 90 miles to the north in Milwaukee.
“Whether you live in Chicago or you travel to Chicago, it’s a focal point that I don’t think we can ignore,” Wheeler said. “I think we would more likely have a problem from a violent extremist here than a lot of other places in the country because we have that event here.”
The Democratic National Convention, where President Joe Biden will likely be nominated for a second term, is set to be held Aug. 19-22 in Chicago. Evening events will be held at the United Center and daytime business at the McCormick Place Convention Center.
Milwaukee’s Republican National Convention is set to take place July 15-18.
The two events represent key moments in a presidential election set to play out like no other, with former President Donald Trump on track to secure the Republican nomination despite multiple indictments and a possible trial date. Political violence is a growing concern, and the war between Israel and Hamas continues to roil the world.
Meanwhile, the summer months tend to be Chicago’s most violent in any given year.
It’s a recipe for a broad range of threats, which Wheeler and others are trying to anticipate. The Democratic convention is a national special security event handled primarily by the Secret Service. But Wheeler said the FBI also has a role to play in terms of intelligence and “tactical resolution.” He said planning began even before he took charge of Chicago’s FBI field office on Jan. 2, 2023.
The Chicago Police Department is another crucial player.
Threats could range from a “lone actor with a sharp object, to a complex, coordinated attack that involves some of the worst weapons of mass destruction that you could have a nightmare about,” Wheeler said.
The FBI field office in Chicago is led by special agent in charge Robert “Wes” Wheeler Jr., pictured, who’s preparing his team for both the Democratic National Convention here and the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
He said there are lessons to be learned from the 2022 mass shooting at Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade. The attack left seven people dead, allegedly at the hands of a lone gunman.
“That is exactly the big worry,” Wheeler said. “And how do we respond well to that? How are we the most efficient with our partners? We spend an awful lot of time working with our other federal and state and local agencies to make sure that we’re as proactive and as efficient as possible.”
Good relationships between the FBI and other law enforcement agencies tend to be the “No. 1 factor in having some success,” he said.
The Israel-Hamas war is another point of concern for Wheeler.
“We have a steady stream of threat information that has picked up since that conflict began, and I don’t see that getting any better anytime soon,” he said.
A mother and daughter from Evanston were held hostage by Hamas for nearly two weeks after that war began in October. They were captured during a trip to Israel. Meanwhile, 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume, a Palestinian American boy, was stabbed to death that same month. A Plainfield man charged in his murder faces a federal hate crime investigation.
Wheeler said those events offer “both-sides-of-the-spectrum” examples of how the war can have ramifications locally, but “there’s a lot in between.”
Chicago’s FBI chief said he has prepared his team to more quickly assess those threats as events play out — and not wait until it’s summoned into a situation.
“It’s much more forward-leaning, much more proactive with our partners,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler leads a team of about 450 agents, with a total staff of about 1,100 people.
As for members of the public with information about a threat — or other federal crimes — FBI spokeswoman Siobhan Johnson said “they absolutely can” reach out, “and they will talk to an agent” if they do. The number to call is 312-421-6700.
Those calls will go to the FBI’s always staffed operations center in Chicago, a space filled with monitors equipped with multiple camera feeds and an office for the agent on duty.
A hallway at the Chicago FBI field office is adorned with portraits of others who held the position of special agent in charge, a role now filled by Robert “Wes” Wheeler Jr.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Wheeler is a 25-year veteran of the FBI who got his start in Texas. He’s been a member of the protection detail for the U.S. attorney general, taught new agents at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and deployed to Afghanistan to work on kidnapping matters as a member of the major crimes task force.
He became a section chief in the International Operations Division at FBI headquarters in 2021, focusing on global readiness and legal attache operations in Europe and Eurasia. He became chief of staff in the Cyber, Criminal, Response and Services branch in 2022, before taking his job in Chicago.
The FBI and federal prosecutors rang up a series of courtroom successes during Wheeler’s first year here in 2023. Nine people, including former 14th Ward Ald. Edward M. Burke, were convicted amid five trials resulting from public corruption investigations that dated back to 2014.
Those convictions were the result of “extremely labor-intensive, rigorous work that is hard,” Wheeler said.
“It’s hard on our people to have those long-term investigations,” he added. “To win convictions at trial is really the cornerstone of doing really good bureau work.”
Wheeler acknowledged he “can’t have a conversation with anybody without talking about violent crime” in Chicago. He calls the violent crime rate here “unacceptable,” but adds that task forces are “doing really good work” and serving the victims of crime “extremely well.”
“It is hard to see the light when it’s as cloudy as it is here on that,” Wheeler said. “We’ll continue to try to look for ways to do that better. But a lot of the reasons why that is so challenging are very systemic problems.”
As for the political violence and extremist threats that have caused him concern, Wheeler said he believed it’s “an interesting time in history,” and noted the FBI has seen challenging moments before.
“I think you really can’t go wrong by protecting Americans and upholding the Constitution,” Wheeler said. “And that’ll be our part of it, however it shakes out.”
The civil liberties group filed a federal lawsuit Thursday on behalf of Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws, a left-leaning group whose marching permit was denied by the city.
“I remember coming out of my apartment one day and spotting Chicago cops dragging young protesters out of one section of Lincoln Park and shoving them into trucks, while nearby poet Allen Ginsberg was chanting in a circle of peaceful protesters not far away from the radical Abby Hoffman,” remembers Dan Webb, who later became a U.S. attorney.
Democrats are deeply focused on Wisconsin and Michigan to help bolster President Joe Biden’s re-election chances — and officials, in town for meetings hosted by the Democratic National Convention Committee, say they plan on showing voters a deep party contrast.
Votes on $70 million to help migrants and the bond issue to fund housing and economic development now are set for Friday. The Council was, however, poised to approve a slew of other measures.
In Chicago, the Democratic National Committee leaders will pick the members of the party’s platform, rules and credentials committees at the last party meeting before the August convention to renominate President Joe Biden.
Ald. Brendan Reilly said he’s concerned paying a settlement to Bryan Mejia, who suffered a fractured leg and torn ACL, will invite protesters expected for the Democratic National Convention to wreak havoc, then bombard the city with lawsuits.
Protesters, residents and other DNC observers would be prohibited from bringing laptops, large bags, scooters and other items into certain areas closest to convention attendees under a proposed ordinance.
Pro-Palestinian protesters greeted Biden outside the Drake Hotel on the Gold Coast, where the president had a campaign meeting before making remarks at the fundraiser.
A Chicago fundraiser for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign is expected to collected $2.5 million for the Biden Action Fund, a joint fundraising committee consisting of the Biden for President operation and the Democratic National Committee.
This week, residents and businesses near the United Center and McCormick Place will receive briefings on how they will be impacted by convention security plans.
Cristina Pacione-Zayas, having spent the last 11 months learning the ropes of city government as Rich Guidice’s top deputy, was the natural choice to replace Guidice.
The mayor made it clear he would not remove the City Council member for appearing at a rally where an American flag was burned to protest U.S. support for Israel.
The funds will help target a big problem for a city opening its doors to President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Convention in August. Just 17.94% of registered voters in suburban Cook County and 25.7% of registered voters in Chicago voted in the March 19 primary.
In between meetings with film and business leaders in California, Gov. J.B. Pritzker will fundraise for the Democratic National Convention Host Committee, including a reception in Los Angeles, and for abortion rights ballot initiatives in Arizona and Nevada.
The groups — both part of the Coalition to March on the DNC — filed for parade permits to march during the Aug-19 convention, but the city denied them, saying it would tie up traffic and require police officers it could not spare.
Whether the city’s low voter turnout on Tuesday is a sign of apathy or dissatisfaction, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and key Democrats are downplaying the significance for President Joe Biden. But one leading pollster calls it a warning bell for other key Democratic cities: ‘These cities need to be engines of turnout.’
The largest of the settlements — for $45 million — goes to Nathen Jones, who suffered a massive traumatic brain injury after an unauthorized police chase. The settlements were approved at a Council meeting that also saw Mayor Brandon Johnson introduce an ordinance authorizing drawing of boundaries for a security footprint around the Democratic National Convention.
“We want to make sure that we maintain peace,” Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said during a news conference Wednesday about this summer’s Democratic National Convention. “We’re going to police constitutionally.”
When it comes to qualifying for perks — and this is true for Democrats and Republicans in past conventions — big donors can vault into the elite ranks either by direct giving or raising political cash. The Sun-Times has exclusive details on what is being offered to the Biden Victory Fund’s donors at this summer’s Chicago gathering.
Owner George Lemperis said Friday the damage was extensive but that he plans to reopen: “They rebuilt the World Trade Center. I can certainly rebuild this.”
The legendary peace priest plans to lead a protest Feb. 15 demanding the Democratic National Committee set aside funds to house Chicago’s homeless residents. “Our message is simple: ‘No money put aside for the homeless: No convention,’ ” said Pfleger.
The city has denied a group’s permit to hold a demonstration at Jane M. Byrne Plaza during the Democratic National Convention in August. A judge this week will decide whether an alternate route is acceptable.
Three students and two faculty members met with U. of C. president Paul Alivisatos and provost Katherine Baicker to discuss the demands of student organizers, though it “ended without resolution,” according to UChicago United for Palestine, the group organizing the encampment.
The Revival is relocating from Hyde Park to South Wabash, and The Home Comedy Theater is providing an artistic residence for some iO and Second City veterans.
When someone new to the “family” like John Schriffen tosses out directionless code words, like “haters,” to a rightfully sensitive and mistreated fan base, the outcome ain’t ever pretty.
SEIU Local 73 leadership and CPS agreed to a four-year contract that is highlighted by a base salary of $40,000, as well as at least 4% raises for workers across all four years. The agreement nows goes to its 11,000 union members for a vote.
