Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. The Trump administration’s pick to oversee a conspiracy investigation into the president’s foes has resigned under pressure from the Justice Department. Joe diGenova stepped down from his role overseeing the DOJ’s vast so-called conspiracy investigation amid disagreements with top Justice Department officials over the pace of the south Florida-based probe. I mean, it’s not like we haven’t seen this movie before, but still, it’s quite the drama.
DiGenova’s resignation came after a series of clashes with top Justice officials, including one in recent days with someone who advised him he had lost the confidence of his superiors. You can’t make this stuff up, right? I’m starting to think that the DOJ is just a never-ending soap opera. Anyway, diGenova told CNN in a brief telephone interview that “it was an honor and privilege to serve the president and the department,” but declined to discuss the internal disputes that led to his resignation.
His departure is the latest upheaval for an investigation that diGenova took over in April, vowing that he could bring charges in 30 days. Yeah, because that’s exactly how investigations work – just rush through them and hope for the best. The investigation is examining possible crimes associated with government investigations into Trump stretching as far back as the 2016 Russian election interference inquiry and culminating with the federal charges against Trump in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and Mar-a-Lago classified documents cases.
Former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, and others have been among the former government officials whose conduct is being scrutinized in the investigation. DiGenova is a longtime Washington lawyer and former Washington, DC, US attorney who briefly represented the president in one of the earlier Justice Department probes that is part of the conspiracy investigation. After taking over the conspiracy probe in April, diGenova has overseen an uptick of witness interviews and grand jury testimony from witnesses in the case.
But despite expectations at Justice Department headquarters that charges could be brought as soon as this month, the case appears to still be a work in progress. In the wake of diGenova’s resignation, a portrait is emerging of an investigation unmoored from a lack of leadership with more than a dozen prosecutors assigned to chasing disparate targets and little to show for their efforts. It’s like they’re trying to find a needle in a haystack, but the haystack is on fire and the needle is a myth.
The pressure to bring a case comes from the top – Trump himself has expressed his frustrations about the slow pace of bringing charges against foes he believes unfairly targeted him in the past. He has expressed his discontent in social media posts and in meetings with department leaders. At a White House gathering with a group of US attorneys, Trump complained that some were weak and that they needed to move more quickly to deliver on his agenda. Yeah, because that’s not intimidating at all.
DiGenova laid out some of his vision for the Fort Pierce, Florida-based conspiracy investigation in an April 2 appearance on Rudy Giuliani’s podcast, in which he decried delays in bringing indictments in the probe. He accused former Attorney General Pam Bondi of blocking plans to appoint him to run the civil rights section in the Miami US Attorney’s office where the conspiracy probe is being run. It’s like a big game of blame-the-other-guy, and I’m just here for the popcorn.
In conclusion, the Trump administration’s conspiracy investigation is a hot mess, and diGenova’s resignation is just the latest twist in this never-ending saga. I’m not sure what’s more entertaining – the investigation itself or the drama surrounding it. Either way, I’ll be here, sipping my coffee and waiting for the next episode of “As the DOJ Turns.” 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
