The U.S. Justice Department has appointed Joseph DiGenova, a conservative attorney and staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, to oversee a criminal investigation into John Brennan, the former CIA director. DiGenova, who previously represented Trump's campaign in its challenges to the 2020 election results, will lead the probe from the Southern District of Florida. He replaces Maria Medetis Long, a career federal prosecutor who was removed from the case after expressing concerns about the strength of the evidence. A Justice Department spokesperson described personnel changes as "healthy and normal," without elaborating on the reasons for Long's removal.
The decision to appoint DiGenova has raised questions about potential political motivations behind the investigation. Critics point to parallels with a previous case in which Trump ousted a federal prosecutor in Virginia's Eastern District after concerns were raised about the strength of evidence in cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Charges against James were later dismissed, though new criminal referrals were made last month in Miami and Chicago for possible homeowner's insurance fraud.
DiGenova is known for his vocal support of Trump's claims of election fraud in 2020. In 2021, he apologized to Chris Krebs, the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, after Krebs accused DiGenova of spreading false claims about election fraud.