Joe diGenova Resigns After Tense Todd Blanche Call: What Happened Inside Trump’s DOJ?

Joe diGenova resigned from the Justice Department on Sept. 10, a day after a tense phone call with Attorney General Todd Blanche over the handling of a politically sensitive investigation into President Donald Trump’s perceived political opponents, according to people familiar with the matter.

DiGenova, a former federal prosecutor and longtime Trump ally, submitted his resignation to Blanche at 3 p.m. Thursday, he confirmed in a brief call with CBS News. He declined to discuss the reasons for his departure but said, “It was an honor and a privilege to serve the president and the department.”

The resignation followed disagreements between diGenova and senior Justice Department officials over the investigation’s progress.

The final dispute centered on diGenova’s effort to prevent lawyers sent from Justice Department headquarters from assisting his team in Fort Pierce, Florida. The disagreements came as officials in Washington pushed for faster progress in the investigation.

What Happened Between diGenova and Blanche?

The precise details of the conversation between diGenova and Blanche have not been publicly disclosed. CNN reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, that the two men had a tense phone call before diGenova’s resignation.

The disagreement was part of a broader conflict over how the investigation should be run. DiGenova sought to limit the involvement of lawyers dispatched from Justice Department headquarters, while senior officials were concerned about the pace of the probe.

Another dispute involved diGenova’s request for a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, at the Fort Pierce office. Such facilities are designed for handling highly classified information. The Justice Department officials instead directed the team to use an existing SCIF at an FBI office several miles away.

DiGenova had also sought additional lawyers for the investigation. The two Justice Department officials disputed suggestions that his team had been denied necessary resources.

What Was diGenova Investigating?

DiGenova was appointed in April to oversee a Justice Department investigation into allegations involving officials connected to past investigations of Trump.

The inquiry was based in the Southern District of Florida and examined several issues tied to the federal government’s investigations of Trump, including the origins of the 2016 intelligence assessment on Russian interference and other actions involving former Obama- and Biden-era officials.

The investigation also examined the retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Former CIA Director John Brennan was the focus of the investigation. Investigators were examining whether Brennan had lied to Congress in testimony related to the intelligence community’s assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to CBS News. Brennan has denied wrongdoing.

The investigation has not produced criminal charges against the officials it has examined, according to The Associated Press.

Why Was diGenova Put in Charge?

DiGenova took over the investigation in April after the removal of career prosecutor Maria Medetis Long, who had previously overseen the matter.

Long had raised concerns about the strength of the evidence and had been removed from the investigation. DiGenova subsequently took responsibility for the probe and its related inquiries.

His appointment put a politically prominent Trump ally in charge of an investigation involving some of the president’s longstanding political grievances.

DiGenova has defended his approach to the investigation. In a statement reported by CNN after his resignation, he said that as a prosecutor of more than 50 years, he builds cases through witnesses and evidence and that such work takes time.

Why Did the Investigation Face Pressure?

The investigation had come under pressure because of its slow pace and the absence of criminal charges.

The senior officials, including Blanche, wanted the investigation to move faster and were interested in potential cases involving figures such as Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey.

The resignation came as the Justice Department was dealing with competing demands, such as building cases based on evidence while facing pressure for visible results.

DiGenova’s departure came amid dissatisfaction within the Justice Department and the White House over the investigation’s pace and direction. According to The Associated Press, diGenova denied mismanaging the investigation and argued that cases require time to develop.

What Does the Resignation Mean for the Probe?

DiGenova’s departure leaves the investigation without the prosecutor who had been brought in to lead it since April.

The Justice Department hasn’t announced a permanent replacement. The department has said it expects the investigation to continue.

The Justice Department issued a statement, “We are grateful to Joe diGenova for his many years of service to the Department. The Attorney General thanks him for his work these past five months alongside the great team of experienced prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida, led by U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones,” CBS News.

DiGenova’s wife, attorney Victoria Toensing, who had also worked with the Fort Pierce team, was expected to leave the Justice Department the following day.

DOJ Faces Leadership Questions After Resignation

The resignation also leaves unresolved the central issue that has surrounded the probe since its expansion, like whether investigators can develop sufficient evidence to support criminal charges against the officials under scrutiny.

The Justice Department has indicated that the investigation will continue. The outcome will depend on the evidence gathered by the remaining prosecutors and on decisions by department leadership about the probe’s direction.