A second Justice Department lawyer has left the criminal investigation examining whether officials conspired against Donald Trump during earlier federal probes. Apparently even the revenge-tour legal department has started losing band members before the first encore.
Reuters reported that Kurt Olsen resigned from the Florida-based inquiry, although one source said he remains at the Justice Department. Olsen previously served as a White House election-security official and had promoted debunked claims about the 2020 election.
The investigation is searching for a conspiracy
The Miami U.S. Attorney’s Office is examining the 2016 intelligence assessment that Russia tried to help Trump’s campaign and the later investigation into classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago. Former CIA Director John Brennan has been told he is a target, according to court documents.
Olsen’s departure follows the resignation of Joseph diGenova, who had overseen the investigation before clashing with Justice Department leadership. One source said Olsen became disillusioned after diGenova left.
Personnel turmoil matters in a politically charged probe
Investigators may leave for many reasons, and a resignation does not itself prove misconduct or collapse. But repeated departures raise questions about evidence, leadership, scope and whether prosecutors agree that the available facts support the theory they were assigned to pursue.
The Justice Department has extraordinary power. Investigating former officials who scrutinized the president requires particular discipline because legitimate accountability and political retaliation can occupy the same headline while being very different legal acts.
Reuters reported Olsen’s departure, the earlier resignation and the inquiry’s focus.
If prosecutors have evidence of a crime, they should present it. If the investigation is an elaborate attempt to criminalize the existence of previous investigations, the revolving door may be the most coherent finding the office has produced.
Facts first. Side-eye included.
DJF separates what is confirmed from what is claimed—and tells you why this particular mess is worth your time.
Dana Side-Eye
Receipts, Rumors & Internet NonsenseDana reads the fine print, checks the timeline, and keeps one eyebrow permanently raised. She covers viral claims, internet pile-ons, and suspiciously convenient explanations.
“Screenshots are forever. So is the side-eye.”