Justice Department Prosecutor Resigns Amid Power Struggle Over Politically Motivated Trump Probe
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Attorney General Todd Blanche accepted the resignation of Joe diGenova, who led a Justice Department investigation targeting former officials connected to Trump-related conspiracy theories, after a contentious call and disagreements over the probe’s aggressive expansion and resource allocation.
The Justice Department’s investigation, which has been widely criticized as a partisan attempt to criminalize those who sought to hold President Donald Trump accountable, suffered a blow Thursday when Joe diGenova, a Washington lawyer with a history of right-wing advocacy, resigned after a heated exchange with Attorney General Todd Blanche. According to sources, diGenova clashed with department leadership over his efforts to exclude oversight from headquarters lawyers and his insistence on a costly, unnecessary SCIF facility at the Fort Pierce office, rather than using an existing FBI site—moves that raised concerns about transparency and wasteful spending.
DiGenova, who took over the probe in April, had dramatically widened its scope, shifting focus from the long-standing, unsubstantiated effort to charge former CIA director John Brennan to a sweeping investigation into anyone involved in scrutinizing Trump, including the 2016 Russian election interference probe, the January 6 Capitol riot, and the Mar-a-Lago documents case. His team recently issued subpoenas to former government employees such as Lisa Page and Dan Richman, and interrogated senior officials who played key roles in the Russia investigation, in what critics see as a politically motivated witch hunt.
DiGenova’s resignation is likely to delay the investigation, which some insiders say was being rushed to bring charges for political purposes. Still, a senior Justice Department official claimed the remaining team is undeterred and expects to continue the probe. DiGenova refused further comment, merely stating that building a case “the old-fashioned way” takes time—a phrase seen by many as code for pursuing baseless charges. Career prosecutors had previously raised red flags about the lack of credible evidence, leading to the replacement of the original lead, Maria Medetis Long, with diGenova. The investigation, criticized for targeting lower-level intelligence workers and perpetuating Trump’s narrative of victimhood, continues to cast a wide net in its pursuit of those who dared to investigate the former president.