Chronological coverage updated 11th September 2026 21:30.
Update 1 · 11th September 2026
Lead Prosecutor Resigns From DOJ Inquiry Into Alleged Anti-Trump Conspiracy
Joe diGenova, a longtime legal ally of Donald Trump and former US attorney for the District of Columbia under the Reagan administration, has resigned from his post leading a Justice Department investigation. Appointed five months ago by the department, diGenova was tasked with investigating whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired against Trump during previous federal inquiries.
The departure highlights internal friction within the administration regarding the pace of retribution cases. The investigation, based in the Southern District of Florida, focused heavily on the 2016 US intelligence community assessment that Russia interfered in the presidential election to assist Trump—a finding Trump and his supporters have repeatedly denounced as a plot, despite multiple official reports confirming widespread Russian interference.
Tensions Over Prosecutorial Standards
The Guardian reportedly quoted Joe diGenova (Former US attorney and lead prosecutor of the Department of Justice inquiry) as saying: “If you want indictments where there’s no evidence, you have an ethical problem.”.
DiGenova indicated that expectations from Trump loyalists for rapid indictments collided with the realities of building a criminal case. He noted that sound prosecutions require time to construct and gather evidence, explaining that sometimes investigations do not yield charges.
The Florida inquiry had proceeded intermittently over the past year, recently issuing federal grand jury subpoenas for testimony. DiGenova’s appointment in April followed the removal of a career national security prosecutor who had questioned the legal viability of the investigation. Following his resignation, the Department of Justice issued a statement thanking diGenova for his five months of service alongside US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones and his team.
- Joe diGenova resigned after five months leading the DOJ inquiry into alleged government conspiracies against Trump.
- No indictments have been filed during the year-long investigation into former national security officials.
- DiGenova's public comments pointed to internal pressure to rush indictments without sufficient evidence.
