Miami federal prosecutor quits amid Trump election probe dispute

Summarised from 6 outlets · Updated 6 Nov, 18:27 · Archive

Jason Reding Quiñones, the US attorney overseeing a probe into alleged conspiracy by former Obama and Biden officials, has resigned from the Department of Justice.

Jason Reding Quiñones, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, resigned from the Department of Justice on Friday. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the departure on social media, saying Quiñones had served with distinction in combatting violent crime, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and transnational crime, and praised his indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro.

Quiñones had been overseeing a federal investigation that began in August 2025 into what prosecutors call a 'grand conspiracy' by former Obama and Biden administration officials. According to the outlets reporting the story, the probe examined whether these officials had conspired to keep President Trump out of office through criminal and intelligence investigations. The investigation also focused on whether former CIA Director John Brennan lied to Congress about the agency's role in creating an intelligence assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The probe led to subpoenas of three former officials: Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former FBI Director James Comey. CBS News reports that no charges have been filed against any of them. Al Jazeera notes that Comey was separately indicted over a social media post prosecutors alleged was a threat against the president in April, and that the DOJ is separately seeking to prosecute him for allegedly leaking classified information. Comey has said the efforts would be 'such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice'.

Quiñones' departure is the latest in a series of high-profile resignations from the investigation. Joe diGenova, a former US attorney in Washington who had led the probe, resigned in September. According to the New York Post, diGenova told the outlet: 'If you want indictments where there's no evidence, you have an ethical problem.' CBS News reports that disagreements with the Deputy Attorney General's office over the management of the investigation contributed to the disputes. The outlet states that senior Justice Department leaders had sent two attorneys from Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter's office to Florida to help manage the case, which both diGenova and Quiñones resisted.

CBS News also reports that Kurt Olsen, a former White House attorney who was known for his efforts to try to overturn the 2020 election results, resigned from the case, and several others who were temporarily assigned returned to their home offices. Blanche's announcement of Quiñones' resignation provided no explanation for his departure. The outlets do not report what happens next with the investigation or how the departures will affect its future.

How it is being reported

• Two more DoJ officials resign, including US attorney leading inquiry into Trump rivalsJason Reding Quiñones led investigation into whether Trump’s rights were violated during 2020 election inquiry A US attorney overseeing the so-called “grand conspiracy” investigation into Donald Trump ’s rivals announced on Friday he is leaving the Department of Justice, one of several officials to leave the department in recent days after sweeping Democratic wins in the midterm elections . Jason Reding Quiñones, the US attorney for the southern district of Florida, and John Eisenberg, who led the justice department’s national security division, are both leaving. Democrats have pledged to…The Guardian · 6 Nov, 18:37
• Trump's DOJ mass exodus as two more senior officials quit after midterms blowoutTwo senior Justice Department officials resigned on Friday, adding to a growing list of prosecutors who have stepped down in the days following the GOP wipeout in the midterm elections.Daily Mail · 6 Nov, 18:11
• US prosecutor who led Trump-backed election probe exits Justice DepartmentJason Reding Quinones' resignation comes as administration braces for Democrat-led investigations.Al Jazeera · 6 Nov, 17:02
• DOJ official resigns amid questions about "grand conspiracy" probeJason Reding Quiñones, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, abruptly resigned, marking another high-profile departure from a DOJ inquiry plagued by internal disputes.CBS News · 6 Nov, 15:41
• DOJ shake-up continues with head of national security division, US attorney in Miami resigningJohn Eisenberg, the head of the National Security Division at the Department of Justice, is stepping down from his post, multiple sources told Fox News on Friday. Jason Reding Quinones, the U.S. Attorney in Miami, also resigned today, adding to the shake-ups at the DOJ. These two departures come…Fox News · 6 Nov, 15:21
• Top prosecutor Jason Reding Quiñones, tapped for Russiagate ‘conspiracy’ probe, quits DOJThe federal prosecutor oversaw a "grand conspiracy" probe of ex-Obama admin officials who allegedly pushed claims of collusion between Trump and Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign.New York Post · 6 Nov, 15:01

In this story: Jason Reding Quiñones · Todd Blanche · John Brennan · James Clapper · James Comey · Joe diGenova · Department of Justice · Southern District of Florida

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log