Trump deep state conspiracy probe crumbles as top loyalist and election denier quits DOJ
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An attorney who supported President Donald Trump’s false 2020 election claims has resigned from a Justice Department inquiry examining whether former government officials plotted against the Republican president, according to a person familiar with the matter speaking on Monday.
Kurt Olsen’s departure from the so-called "grand conspiracy" investigation marks further upheaval for a meandering probe that has proceeded in fits and starts while prosecutors pursue an ill-defined right-wing theory of a plot against Trump. The development comes just weeks after another Trump ally, Joseph DiGenova, stepped down from leading the closely watched inquiry in Florida.
The person who confirmed Olsen’s resignation spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal personnel matters. Olsen did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment on Monday.
Although Olsen’s prominence as an election denier raised his profile within Trump’s orbit, his lack of prior experience as a Justice Department prosecutor made him an unconventional choice to lead such a high-profile investigation.
Investigators have directed their attention toward multiple major federal inquiries involving Trump, including the probe into Russian interference during the 2016 election and the investigation into his retention of classified records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Prosecutors have demanded testimony from officials connected to both of those prior cases as they search for any evidence of a potential conspiracy intended to deprive Trump of his legal rights.
Olsen’s role in the probe came into sharper focus earlier this month when legal counsel for former CIA Director John Brennan revealed that he had discussed with Olsen a grand jury subpoena compelling Brennan to testify in Fort Pierce on Oct. 25. The attorney, Wainstein, noted that Olsen informed him that Brennan also remains a "target" of a separate, narrower investigation into false statements.
The resignation is the latest sign of instability in the yearlong conspiracy inquiry. Last April, a lead national security prosecutor assigned to the Brennan investigation was replaced after raising questions about the overall strength of the case. Days later, diGenova was sworn in to lead the effort.
The 81-year-old DiGenova previously served as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia during the Reagan administration and has spent years as a prominent ally of Trump, aiding efforts to overturn the 2020 election outcome and publicly asserting that the president was targeted by an intelligence community conspiracy.
DiGenova resigned earlier this month without filing a single criminal charge. It remains uncertain whether any indictments will ultimately be brought, or what specific information has been gathered to substantiate claims of a government plot against Trump by the officials who investigated him.
Olsen, who unsuccessfully urged the Justice Department in 2020 to back the president’s false election claims, joined the department several months ago after serving in a White House position as director of election security and integrity.
He previously helped Texas Republican attorney general Ken Paxton launch a long-shot attempt to persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, and later represented Kari Lake in her legal attempt to overturn her loss in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election. Courts in Arizona eventually sanctioned Olsen for making false statements during that litigation.
