Justice Department Trump Probe Thrown Into Turmoil After Top Prosecutor Joe DiGenova Abruptly Resigns

President Donald Trump's push to prosecute all the officials pursuing investigations into him with conspiracy charges has fallen into limbo after the Justice Department prosecutor pursuing the case resigned.

On September 10, prosecutor Joseph diGenova abruptly stepped down after just five months on the case. “It was an honor and a privilege to serve the president and the department,” he told Politico.

diGenova, 81, is a career prosecutor and the former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia under Ronald Reagan. He was brought onto the case in April after Justice Department officials ousted career prosecutor Maria Medetis Long. Long was in charge of an investigation into former CIA director John Brennan, who, like former FBI Director James Comey, is a U.S. law enforcement official who has the president's ire.

Long and other career prosecutors felt there was insufficient evidence to convict Brennan, leading to her firing. diGenova was brought on and expanded the investigation to cover a possible conspiracy in which Trump's political critics all conspired to bring charges against him, ranging from the 2016 Russiagate probe to the January 6, 2021, Capitol Riot and the 2022 Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.

diGenova's invetigation barely got off the ground. On September 14, CNN reported that a tense phone call between diGenova and Attorney General Todd Blanche proved the final straw for the prosecutor.

The call centered around diGenova's effort to block Justice Department lawyers from assisting with the case. Blanche and Justice Department officials were said to be displeased with the pace of diGenova's investigation and wanted it quickened.

“As an old prosecutor of more than 50 years, I make cases the old fashioned way: witnesses, evidence, etc. That takes time,” diGenova told CNN.

diGenova's resignation will likely delay the Justice Department's investigation, but only momentarily. U.S. law enforcement officials told CNN that they anticipate his absence will ultimately help the case's momentum.

Justice Department officials are already looking into Brennan's attorneys. They've issued a slew of subpoenas seeking testimony and documents to support their investigation. Brennan has been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury in mid-October.

diGenova had also subpoenaed key players in the 2016 Russiagate scandal — though any investigation involving Russiagate will likely face legal challenges, as the events happened more than 10 years ago, beyond the statute of limitations in which charges can be brought.

diGenova's resignation follows a pattern that's repeated itself throughout Trump's second term.

On several occasions, Trump's DOJ has tried to create an indictment against one of his political enemies; the prosecutor in charge feels there is not enough evidence to convict; the DOJ fires that prosecutor and installs a lackey to bring the indictment anyway.

A similar scenario played out last year with Trump's bungled investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James. Attorney Erik Siebert was forced out of his job after resisting DOJ pressure to indict James, leading to the installation of Trump's personal attorney, Lindsey Halligan. Halligan was also put in charge of the Comey investigation, which a judge threw out after ruling Halligan was unlawfully appointed to the poisition.