Joe diGenova resigns from DOJ probe of Trump foes

Joseph diGenova, a close ally of Donald Trump, has abruptly resigned as Counselor to the Attorney General overseeing a sprawling South Florida-based conspiracy investigation into Trump's political foes. DiGenova's departure on September 10, 2026, followed intense clashes with Justice Department officials over the slow pace of the probe. While Trump has pressured prosecutors to quickly indict figures like John Brennan and James Comey, diGenova defended his pace, warning that pursuing indictments without sufficient evidence presents severe ethical problems.

DiGenova DOJ resignation

• ▪Joseph diGenova submitted his resignation letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche at 3:00 p.m. on September 10, 2026
• ▪Joseph diGenova resigned on September 10, 2026, from his role as Counselor to the Attorney General overseeing the Justice Department's conspiracy investigation into Donald Trump's political foes
• ▪Attorney Victoria Toensing, Joseph diGenova's wife and a member of the federal prosecution team in South Florida, is expected to depart the Justice Department on September 11, 2026

Investigation pace disputes

• ▪Joseph diGenova took over the conspiracy probe in April 2026 after the ouster of career prosecutor Maria Medetis Long, who had balked at bringing charges more quickly
• ▪Donald Trump has repeatedly pressured Justice Department leaders in private meetings and social media posts to move more quickly in bringing charges against his political opponents
• ▪Joseph diGenova resigned under pressure from the Justice Department following disagreements with top officials over the slow pace of the South Florida-based conspiracy investigation

Evidence standards clash

• ▪The conspiracy investigation has faced legal hurdles because the targeted activities occurred nearly a decade ago, placing them outside the typical five-year federal statute of limitations
• ▪Joseph diGenova dismissed accusations of losing focus, stating that demanding indictments when there is no evidence constitutes an ethical problem

Trump foes conspiracy probe

• ▪Former CIA Director John Brennan filed a lawsuit earlier in 2026, alleging the Trump administration used the criminal process to punish the president's perceived adversaries
• ▪The South Florida-based conspiracy probe is examining whether Obama- and Biden-era officials, including John Brennan and James Comey, conspired to prevent Donald Trump from returning to office
• ▪The conspiracy investigation issued dozens of subpoenas to high-ranking Obama-era officials, including John Brennan, James Clapper, Peter Strzok, and Lisa Page

Leadership confidence loss

• ▪Justice Department officials and White House leadership had lost confidence in Joseph diGenova's leadership and ability to run the sprawling conspiracy investigation
• ▪Justice Department officials grew dissatisfied with U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, who repeatedly promised to bring charges but was recently told to focus on his job in Miami

Debatable claims

• ▪The Justice Department should expedite indictments in the conspiracy investigation into Donald Trump's foes
• ▪The Justice Department's conspiracy investigation into Donald Trump's foes is a politically motivated abuse of power