Overview
- Joe diGenova, a longtime Trump ally and former U.S. attorney, has been assigned as counselor to the attorney general to help oversee a South Florida investigation into whether officials unlawfully targeted the president during the Russia probe.
- His appointment follows the removal of career national-security prosecutor Maria Medetis Long, who, according to multiple reports, objected to a rushed push to pursue charges tied to former CIA Director John Brennan.
- U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones will direct the work in the Southern District of Florida, with diGenova expected to operate in Miami and Fort Pierce, where proceedings tie into a South Florida grand jury overseen locally by Judge Aileen Cannon, according to some reports.
- The inquiry has focused on Brennan and others and has used grand jury subpoenas, including a demand to former FBI Director James Comey last month, with NBC News reporting more than 130 subpoenas and no public charges to date.
- NBC News and ABC News emphasize diGenova’s partisan history and potential for a more aggressive posture, while Fox News underscores the probe’s scrutiny of Brennan, reflecting sharp divides over whether this marks accountability or politicization.