CBS News
· collected 2026-09-11 · by Sarah N. Lynch, Jacob Rosen
Joe diGenova resigned from the Department of Justice on Thursday after supervising a probe into what he and others have called a "grand conspiracy" targeting Obama- and Biden-era officials. DiGenova declined to comment on his reasons for leaving, but his exit comes just days after lawyers representing witnesses in the investigation received emails about grand jury subpoenas. The probe has drawn criticism from law enforcement veterans who worry it's being stacked with politically motivated personnel. DiGenova was tapped to oversee the investigation in April and had a history of representing Trump interests, including working on the campaign's failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Joe diGenova, a longtime ally of Donald Trump, has resigned from leading an investigation into whether former government officials conspired against the Republican president. DiGenova was appointed by Attorney General Todd Blanche in April to oversee the investigation, which is looking into allegations related to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and Trump's retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The investigation has been criticized for moving slowly, with some Trump loyalists expressing frustration that no charges have been brought despite five months of work. DiGenova resigned on Thursday, citing the need to "do the best you can under the circumstances" and acknowledging that building good cases takes time. His departure comes just days after lawyers representing witnesses in the investigation received emails about grand jury subpoenas, and his wife Victoria Toensing, who also worked with the team, will be leaving the Justice Department on Friday.
Written for “Trump Investigation Resignations” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but none of the 1 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 8112: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-11
Joe diGenova, the prosecutor who was
by Attorney General Todd Blanche to supervise the "grand conspiracy" investigation targeting Obama- and Biden-era officials,
asserted
who → supervise → officials
In a brief call with CBS News, diGenova said he had turned in his resignation letter to Blanche at 3 p.m. on Thursday.
asserted
he → say → Thursday
"It was an honor and a privilege to serve the president and the department," he said.
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he → serve → president
He added that his wife, attorney Victoria Toensing, who also worked with the team of federal prosecutors in Fort Pierce, Florida, will be leaving the Justice Department on Friday.
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who → add → Friday
diGenova declined to comment on the reasons for his sudden departure, which was first reported by ABC News.
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which → decline → News
CBS News has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
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News → reach → comment
His exit comes just days after lawyers representing some of the witnesses in the investigation received emails alerting them that their clients would be receiving grand jury subpoenas, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
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sources → come → News
Recently, diGenova's investigators also reached out to lawyers who represent former FBI agents who investigated President Trump for his retention of classified records to request voluntary interviews, two other sources briefed on the matter said.
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sources → reach → matter
diGenova was tapped earlier this year to oversee a sprawling "grand conspiracy" probe being run out of Fort Pierce, Florida, that is examining whether Obama- and Biden-era officials were part of a long-running conspiracy to keep Mr. Trump out of political office.
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officials → tap → office
He was also overseeing a
into whether Obama-era CIA Director lied to Congress in 2023 about the U.S. intelligence community's assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 election.diGenova was tapped for the role in April, after Maria Medetis Long, the prosecutor who had been overseeing the two cases in the U.S. attorney's office in Miami, was abruptly removed after she had expressed some concerns about the strength of the evidence.
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she → oversee → evidence
Prosecutors have not brought charges in either of the probes.
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Prosecutors → bring → probes
The investigations have drawn criticism from law enforcement veterans who worry the probes are being stacked with politically motivated personnel,
.
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probes → draw → personnel
Brennan sued over the investigations earlier this year, alleging the Trump administration has "adopted a policy of using criminal process and prosecution to punish the President's perceived adversaries.
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administration → sue → adversaries
"diGenova returned to the Justice Department in April, more than three decades after he served as U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., from 1983 to 1988.
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he → return → 1988
More recently, diGenova represented Mr. Trump's campaign in its failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.
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diGenova → represent → results
He has long railed against Brennan's role in assessing that Russia tried to meddle in the 2016 election, referring to him in one interview as the "primogenitor of the entire counterintelligence investigation."
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Russia → rail → investigation
