The Justice Department, acting under the direction of President Trump, is issuing new grand‑jury subpoenas in Florida as part of its investigation into a purported intelligence‑community conspiracy against the President. Sources familiar with the matter say the subpoenas target former government officials who were involved in the intelligence community’s response to Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Administration’s rationale
Attorney General counsel Joe diGenova, a veteran prosecutor from the Reagan era who was brought back to help lead the team, says the probe seeks to determine whether intelligence officials violated President Trump’s constitutional rights by coordinating a narrative that unfairly portrayed him as a foreign‑agent.
Scope of the subpoenas
Investigators have contacted defense lawyers for several witnesses, but it remains unclear how many subpoenas have been served or who the witnesses are. The subpoenas represent an escalation from earlier voluntary interviews, aiming to secure sworn testimony before a grand jury.
Potential targets
Lawyers for former CIA Director John Brennan have indicated that he may be a target, alleging that he could have provided false testimony to Congress—a claim Brennan denies. Earlier this year, the Justice Department withdrew a similar set of subpoenas in Washington after opting for voluntary interviews.
Legal context
The investigation is being run out of Fort Pierce, Florida, the home court of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump‑appointed jurist who previously dismissed the classified‑documents case against the President. Critics, including Brennan’s legal team, have argued that the investigation should not be steered toward Judge Cannon, describing her as a “favored” Trump judge.
Background
President Trump has long asserted that the intelligence community’s assessment of Russian meddling in 2016 was a “deep state” effort to undermine his election. While the FBI and Justice Department concluded there was insufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, they did find that the campaign welcomed Moscow’s assistance.
Subsequent inspector‑general reviews identified errors by agents in the original probe but found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by senior law‑enforcement officials or an anti‑Trump conspiracy. The current grand‑jury effort reflects the administration’s continued push for accountability and transparency regarding the intelligence community’s actions.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
