Joe diGenova Resigns After Tense Blanche Call Upends DOJ Probe Into Trump's Top Foes Amid New Delays

Joe diGenova has resigned from the Justice Department after a tense phone call with Attorney General Todd Blanche, raising the prospect of new delays in the South Florida-based probe into figures involved in past investigations of Donald Trump.

The departure of the 81-year-old veteran prosecutor throws the sprawling 'grand conspiracy' investigation into fresh uncertainty, with no charges filed after months of subpoenas and interviews.

The inquiry grew out of a Justice Department investigation into whether former CIA Director John Brennan gave false testimony to Congress about the intelligence community's assessment of Russian election interference.

Career prosecutors raised concerns about the strength of a potential case, and in April Maria Medetis Long was removed from the investigation amid concerns about whether there was sufficient evidence to pursue charges against Brennan.

In April, diGenova was brought in as counsellor to Attorney General Todd Blanche and given a leading role in the investigation. Under diGenova, the investigation expanded beyond Brennan to examine other former officials involved in investigations of Trump and his associates.

Internal Clashes Over Pace and Resources

Behind the scenes, tensions mounted over the pace of the investigation and the resources diGenova demanded. According to people familiar with the matter, the final clash with Blanche centred on diGenova's effort to block lawyers dispatched from Justice Department headquarters from assisting the probe, following broader disagreements with top officials over its speed.

DiGenova also pressed for a high-security SCIF to be built at the Fort Pierce office to store highly classified material, but Justice officials told him to use an existing SCIF at an FBI office. He pushed for more lawyers on his team, though Justice officials disputed claims he was denied resources.

Sources told multiple outlets that diGenova had lost support among senior Justice Department and White House officials, with one source accusing him of 'slow-rolling' indictments and getting lost down 'rabbit holes'. Another source said diGenova had given the president unrealistic expectations about what the investigation could achieve, contributing to tensions with Blanche.

DiGenova rejected the criticism, telling reporters, 'If you want indictments where there's no evidence, you have an ethical problem.' He later told the Associated Press that the remark had been taken out of context and said he believed there was evidence supporting the prosecution theories.

The resignation came as the inquiry continued, with investigators presenting a witness for testimony to a grand jury in the probe, one of Trump's top priorities. DiGenova's abrupt departure could mean more delays in an investigation that has already fallen behind expectations for charges after he took over in April.

Officials at Justice Department headquarters had anticipated that the investigation could produce its first charges as soon as September, according to previous reporting. A US law enforcement official said Justice Department officials remained confident in the team and expected the investigation to regain momentum.

Widening Scope and Legal Questions

Despite the behind-the-scenes disputes, investigative activity appeared to have intensified in recent weeks, with a flurry of subpoenas issued to witnesses seeking documents and, in some cases, grand jury testimony. The effort focuses on a broader set of targets beyond Brennan, including former government employees with insight into the FBI's role in the 2016 Russia investigation.

According to sources, grand jury subpoenas have also been issued to former FBI lawyer Lisa Page. A former supervisor involved in the FBI's Russia investigation was also interviewed by diGenova's investigators.

Other witnesses at lower levels in the CIA and intelligence community were interviewed about the intelligence assessment of the 2016 election and Brennan's leadership. At least one witness in recent weeks received outreach because of their work on the 2022 FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago property, widening the timeline of questions closer to the present day.

The outreach extended the investigation beyond the 2016 election-related matters to the FBI's 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago. The types of witnesses contacted highlight how wide-ranging diGenova's approach to the so-called 'grand conspiracy' has been, sources said.

A recurring criticism, and an issue that defence lawyers could raise in any future prosecution, is whether some of the conduct under examination is too old to support charges under the applicable statutes of limitations.

Critics have also questioned whether some of the conduct under investigation has a sufficient connection to South Florida to support prosecution there. The investigation's next steps remain unclear following diGenova's resignation.