A US Attorney in Miami, known for his loyalty to the MAGA movement, is significantly widening a controversial investigation targeting former intelligence officials who angered Donald Trump by probing Russian interference in the 2016 election. This expansion comes despite recent court rejections of indictments against other foes of the former president.
A Probe Labelled a 'Fishing Expedition'
Legal experts and former prosecutors are condemning the Miami-based inquiry, led by Trump-appointed US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, as a politically charged "fishing expedition." The investigation, which has issued approximately two dozen subpoenas, appears focused on finding ways to criminally charge ex-officials who have already been scrutinised and effectively cleared by two special counsels and a Republican-led Senate committee.
Among those reportedly served with subpoenas are former CIA Director John Brennan, who oversaw the initial 2016 Russia assessment, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and ex-FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. The probe seems centred on a 2017 intelligence assessment concluding the Kremlin intervened to aid Trump's election.
Michael Bromwich, former Department of Justice (DoJ) Inspector General representing subpoenaed ex-FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe, was scathing in his critique. "There is simply no factual basis for this investigation," he stated. "It is a fishing expedition where it has been clearly established... there are no fish."
Political Loyalty and Prosecutor Resignations
The inquiry's direction has reportedly prompted ethical concerns within the US Attorney's office itself. According to multiple reports, two young prosecutors assigned to the case resigned after expressing reservations about its legitimacy and tactics.
Jason Reding Quiñones, confirmed by the Senate in August, has close ties to Trump allies like former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who administered his oath of office. The investigation accelerated in November with a flurry of new subpoenas and additional prosecutors.
Critics argue the probe exemplifies a strategy to weaponise the justice system. "Our laws and traditions forbid federal prosecutors to use their awesome prosecutorial powers to conduct a grand jury investigation for the sole purpose of vanquishing a political enemy of the president," emphasised Jeffrey Sloman, a former chief of the same Miami office.
Links to Trump Allies and 'Lawfare' Rhetoric
The probe's momentum appears partly fueled by right-wing attorney and Trump loyalist Mike Davis. Davis, who leads the Article III Project, has strong connections to Reding Quiñones and has publicly advocated for prosecuting officials involved in the Russia investigations.
In October, Davis told conservative commentators that his "buddy" Jason Quiñones had moved to empanel a new grand jury in Fort Pierce, Florida, after Davis "pushed very hard" for the investigation. He has suggested prosecutors might pursue conspiracy charges, alleging a long-running plot to deprive Trump of his civil rights, potentially to circumvent statutes of limitation.
This rhetoric echoes Trump's own. In January 2023, Trump reposted an image on Truth Social showing Brennan, Clapper, and others behind bars, asking, "when do the trials for treason begin?"
While the Miami inquiry expands, other DoJ cases against Trump critics have faltered. Last month, a judge dismissed criminal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and others, criticising the process that led to them.
Legal scholars warn that even without convictions, such investigations serve a political purpose. "A grand jury investigation and a trial can do that even if there is no conviction," said NYU law professor Stephen Gillers. "Conviction would just be icing on the dessert." The Miami probe is slated to continue with its new grand jury beginning in January.
