According to the Chicago Sun-Times, even in his previous roles Mr Bovino appeared to court attention, once inviting reporters to watch him breaststroke across a concrete irrigation canal in Southern California’s Imperial Valley, warning migrants that the currents were strong.
Meanwhile, a federal jury is currently considering whether a Chicago man’s Snapchat messages constituted a real murder-for-hire plot against Mr Bovino.
Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, is accused of offering $2,000 in cash for information on Mr Bovino’s whereabouts and $10,000 “if you have him killed”.
Defence attorneys countered that Espinoza Martinez, a carpenter with little money in his bank account, was merely repeating rumours. They argued the messages amounted to “neighbourhood gossip,” not a real plan to harm anyone, the AP reported.
Mr Bovino has also been the subject of two court orders addressing racial profiling, both of which the administration has appealed, according to the AP.
One stemmed from raids he led in California’s San Joaquin Valley during the final month of Joe Biden’s presidency while the other related to operations in Los Angeles.
