Joe diGenova, loyalist tapped by Trump to oversee controversial DOJ probe targeting his foes, resigns: Sources
A Trump loyalist who had been tapped to oversee a sprawling and controversial DOJ conspiracy investigation targeting political foes of President Donald Trump abruptly resigned Thursday, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Joe diGenova submitted his resignation to Attorney General Todd Blanche amid what sources described as growing frustrations from Trump and senior DOJ officials regarding his work on the so-called "grand conspiracy" investigation based out of the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida.
Sources said diGenova had pitched himself to the president as someone who could potentially ramp up the conspiracy investigation, which thus far has resulted in no criminal prosecutions despite dozens of subpoenas issued over the past year to various officials involved in past investigations of Trump.
"I resigned by letter today at 3 o'clock," diGenova told ABC News on Thursday. "It was an honor and a privilege to serve the president and the department."
"I'm not going to say anything further. I wish them well," he said.
A Justice Department spokesperson said in 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."
The investigation, as detailed by Justice Department officials and other allies of the White House, purports to be examining intelligence officials and others who have investigated the president and his inner circle dating back from his 2016 campaign to the criminal probes he faced after leaving office in 2021.
DiGenova, an 81-year-old attorney who hadn't worked as a prosecutor for decades but aided Trump in various legal matters including his failed efforts to overturn the 2020 election, was tapped to oversee the conspiracy investigation in April.
In frequent media appearances diGenova has echoed many of Trump's grievances, including conspiracy theories about the investigations that have targeted the president dating back to his first term in office.
