Trump deep state conspiracy probe crumbles as top loyalist and election denier quits DOJ

Kurt Olsen, an attorney who backed Donald Trump's false claims about the 2020 election, has resigned from the Justice Department investigation into an alleged "grand conspiracy" against the president, according to reports. A person familiar with the matter, speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, confirmed the exit. Olsen did not immediately answer a request for comment Monday. His departure comes only weeks after Joseph DiGenova, another Trump ally, left his post directing the Florida-based effort, and it deepens the sense of disarray around a year-old inquiry, according to The Independent.

Prosecutors have been testing a vaguely defined theory that officials plotted to strip Trump of his legal rights. They have sought testimony from people tied to the Russia investigation of the 2016 election and the case over classified records kept at Mar-a-Lago. Olsen had never worked as a Justice Department prosecutor, which made him an unusual pick to lead the effort. This month, an attorney for former CIA Director John Brennan, identified as Wainstein, said Olsen had talked with him about a subpoena requiring Brennan to appear in Fort Pierce on Oct. 25, and had described Brennan as a "target" in a separate false-statements inquiry.

Last April, a senior national security prosecutor on the Brennan matter was removed after questioning the case's strength, and DiGenova, 81, took charge days later. He resigned without bringing any charges, and it is unclear whether any will follow.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →