Trump-backed prosecutor leaves Justice Department after Democratic midterm wins

The federal prosecutor overseeing an investigation into Donald Trump’s former rivals is leaving the Justice Department as Democrats prepare to use their new congressional majorities to scrutinize the administration.

Jason Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, submitted his resignation Friday, Attorney General Todd Blanche said. John Eisenberg, who led the department’s national security division, is also leaving. Their departures follow Thursday’s announcement that Harmeet Dhillon, head of the civil rights division, was stepping down.

Quiñones oversaw an inquiry into whether former senior officials violated Trump’s rights while investigating him, The Guardian reported. The newspaper described it as a “grand conspiracy” investigation tied to scrutiny of Trump after the 2020 election. Al Jazeera, by contrast, described Quiñones’s work as an expansion of a probe involving Russia’s alleged support for Trump’s 2016 campaign. Neither account reported charges in the inquiry.

Al Jazeera reported that former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former FBI Director James Comey had been subpoenaed. The Guardian reported that personnel problems had affected the investigation. Julie Kelly, a conservative commentator, wrote on X that the “‘grand conspiracy’ case into the lawfare against the president is essentially dead now.”

In a statement, Blanche thanked Quiñones for his work on violent crime, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and transnational crime, “including the indictment of Raúl Castro.” Al Jazeera reported that Quiñones oversaw the U.S. indictment of the 94-year-old Cuban revolutionary.

Eisenberg’s division handles terrorism and espionage cases, among other matters. He previously served in Trump’s first administration and was a top lawyer for the National Security Council, The Guardian reported. Blanche said Eisenberg had “served with distinction, strengthening our nation’s ability to address threats, both foreign and domestic.”

Dhillon’s departure has drawn competing accounts of its timing. CBS News reported, according to The Guardian, that Trump sought to dismiss her after an October appearance on “60 Minutes” because she had not more forcefully defended efforts to prosecute noncitizens and send monitors to polling places. Dhillon told The Guardian she submitted her resignation on Oct. 13, before the interview aired, and that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles asked her to stay until at least early November. Bloomberg previously reported that Dhillon had told reporters in August she intended to return to private practice.

Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections. They have pledged aggressive oversight of the Justice Department and other agencies; their new majorities will give them subpoena power. Al Jazeera reported that several expected investigations will focus on allegations that the department has been politicized.