Trump's Legal Ally Takes Charge of Investigation into Ex-CIA Chief, DOJ Confirms
Joseph DiGenova, a conservative attorney known for his previous role in challenging the 2020 election results on behalf of President Trump, has been appointed by the U.S. Justice Department to spearhead a criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, according to a Justice Department official on Saturday.
Operating from the Southern District of Florida, DiGenova steps in just days after Maria Medetis Long was removed from the case. He will act as counselor to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the official noted.
Sources indicate that Medetis Long's removal stemmed from her concerns regarding the evidence's robustness. A spokesperson for the Justice Department remarked on Friday that personnel changes are "healthy and normal," though they did not provide specific reasons for this particular shift.
The decision to appoint DiGenova while sidelining a career federal prosecutor raises questions about potential political motivations behind the investigation. This personnel change echoes a previous incident where Trump replaced the top federal prosecutor in Virginia's Eastern District with a loyalist after concerns were raised about evidence in cases involving former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Charges against James were ultimately dismissed, but a Trump administration official recently made new criminal referrals to federal prosecutors in Miami and Chicago regarding possible homeowner's insurance fraud.
DiGenova, an outspoken Trump supporter, has been vocal in promoting conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being stolen. In 2021, he issued an apology to Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, after Krebs asserted that the election was free from significant fraud or interference.
Krebs later filed a lawsuit against DiGenova following incendiary remarks made during a television appearance, where DiGenova suggested Krebs should be "drawn and quartered" and "shot." These comments reportedly led to death threats against Krebs.
At 81 years old, DiGenova previously held the position of U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., under President Ronald Reagan.
The investigation into Brennan was initiated following a referral from the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee last October. This referral included allegations that Brennan misled Congress regarding the CIA's involvement in creating the intelligence assessment related to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Chairman Jim Jordan claimed that Brennan "falsely" denied that the CIA relied on a dossier compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele during the drafting of this assessment and misrepresented that the CIA opposed including the Steele dossier in it.
The Steele dossier contains unverified allegations against then-candidate Trump, adding further complexity to the ongoing investigation.
As the case progresses, recent weeks have seen intensified activity, with team members conducting interviews with key witnesses. Chris DeLorenz, a former law clerk for U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon during special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into Trump's handling of classified records, has also joined the case after transitioning from his role in the deputy attorney general's office to become a prosecutor in the Southern District of Florida.
