Who Is Joe diGenova? Trump Ally Resigns From ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Probe After No Charges

Trump ally Joe diGenova has resigned from the Justice Department investigation into alleged efforts by former intelligence and law enforcement officials to target President Donald Trump, ending his tenure on the politically sensitive probe without any criminal prosecutions.

DiGenova submitted his resignation to Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday, Sept. 10, after months overseeing the Florida-based investigation. Sources cited by ABC News said the resignation came amid growing frustration within the White House and Justice Department over the pace and direction of the inquiry.

In a brief call with CBS News, diGenova said he had submitted his resignation letter to Blanche at 3 p.m. Thursday.

“It was an honor and a privilege to serve the president and the department,” he said. The Justice Department declined to comment on his resignation.

Former Reagan Prosecutor Became Trump Ally

Joseph diGenova is an attorney from Washington who has been practicing for a long time and was previously a federal prosecutor, serving as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia between 1983 and 1988 during the administration of President Ronald Reagan.

The Justice Department stated that diGenova headed the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington while it was dealing with cases involving public corruption, national security, and violent crime. He then went into private practice and became a legal commentator and advisor on federal law enforcement and constitutional matters.

After serving in government, diGenova and his wife Victoria Toensing, who is an attorney, set up their own private legal practice. He subsequently appeared often in conservative media and was a strong backer of Trump.

His reputation in politics increased during Trump’s first term, when he made public the allegations concerning misconduct within the FBI and the Justice Department regarding the investigations into Trump. Forbes referred to diGenova as a leading defender of Trump and mentioned his regular appearances on television.

DiGenova and the 2020 Election

DiGenova became prominent after Trump’s 2020 election defeat.

In November 2020, he was part of a group of attorneys associated with Trump’s efforts to challenge the election results, alongside Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis. The legal effort sought to overturn Joe Biden’s victory.

During that period, diGenova also faced criticism for remarks about Christopher Krebs, then director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Krebs had publicly defended the security of the 2020 election.

Forbes reported in 2020 that diGenova had suggested Krebs should be “taken out at dawn and shot.” Krebs later pursued legal action against diGenova over the remarks.

The episode established diGenova as one of Trump’s more vocal legal supporters.

What Was the ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Probe?

The investigation diGenova took over in April was based in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and examined allegations that former intelligence and law enforcement officials had improperly acted against Trump.

The Justice Department’s inquiry has examined actions and investigations dating back to Trump’s first presidential campaign, including the government’s response to Russian interference in the 2016 election and later investigations involving Trump.

The investigation also examined matters involving former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey, among other officials who had been involved in investigations concerning Trump.

Brennan has denied wrongdoing. His lawyers have also challenged efforts connected to the investigation.

The inquiry has issued subpoenas and sought testimony from former government officials. According to AP, this week that new grand jury subpoenas represented an escalation in the yearlong investigation.

Despite the activity, the investigation had produced no criminal prosecutions by the time diGenova resigned.

Probe Pace Drew DOJ Leadership Concerns

The exact circumstances surrounding diGenova’s departure remain disputed.

The sources familiar with the matter described growing frustration among Trump and senior Justice Department officials over the investigation’s progress. Joe diGenova had clashed with senior Justice officials over the pace of the Florida investigation and that one official told him he had lost the confidence of his superiors.

Joe diGenova had previously indicated that he could move the investigation toward charges within 30 days after taking over from career prosecutor Maria Meditis Long.

The investigation had yielded no charges after roughly a year of work. It also reported that diGenova rejected the idea that he had mismanaged the investigation and defended the time required to develop criminal cases..

DOJ Probe Faces Uncertainty After DiGenova Exit

The Justice Department has not announced a permanent successor for diGenova.

The prosecutors already working on the investigation could continue the case. The immediate future of the inquiry therefore remains unclear.

Joe diGenova’s departure leaves the Justice Department’s controversial “grand conspiracy” investigation without its recently appointed lead and without criminal charges announced against the officials it has scrutinized.