Trump's bid to link past probes collapses after lead investigator resigns

Donald Trump has urged federal authorities to merge multiple inquiries—including the Russian election meddling case and the classified-documents probe—into a single “deep state” conspiracy narrative. Retired federal prosecutor Randall Eliason warned that the investigations are legally sound and lack any unifying criminal theory. The plan suffered a major blow when Joe DiGenova, the 81-year-old lawyer tasked with overseeing the effort, abruptly resigned, citing a lack of indictments and pressure to accelerate results.

DiGenova had previously taken over after Maria Medetis Long was dismissed for questioning the strength of a case against former CIA director John Brennan. Brennan’s attorney, Ken Wainstein, accused the Justice Department of attempting to fabricate a fictional crime. Former U.S. attorney John Fishwick Jr. noted that the administration’s desire for action is unlikely to persuade the DOJ to alter its stance.