USA20 March, 20262 min read
Trump-appointed prosecutor subpoenas Comey in grand conspiracy probe
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James Comey subpoenaed by DOJ in its grand conspiracy probe against Trump. Brennan and Jack Smith are among figures connected to the probe.
Subpoena Details
Former FBI Director James Comey has been subpoenaed as part of a sweeping Trump administration 'grand conspiracy' investigation.
“Former FBI Director James Comey has been subpoenaed in a sweeping 'grand conspiracy' investigation targeting officials involved in past probes of President Donald Trump, according to a report on Thursday. The subpoena, issued last week, is part of an inquiry that has generated more than 130 subpoenas and focuses on former officials who served under Democratic administrations, Axios reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.”
The investigation has issued over 130 subpoenas targeting former intelligence and law enforcement officials.
The probe is led by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida.
It focuses on officials from previous Democratic administrations who allegedly conspired against Trump.
The investigation targets those who allegedly prevented Trump from exercising his constitutional rights from 2016 through 2023.
The probe represents an unprecedented campaign of retribution against Trump's political opponents.
The Department of Justice is now directed by Trump's former personal attorneys including Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Dossier Focus
The investigation centers on the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russian election interference. The assessment included information from the now-discredited Steele dossier. CIA Director John Ratcliffe has referred Comey and Brennan for prosecution over this inclusion.
Ratcliffe claims they committed misconduct by including the dossier summary in the assessment. However, the dossier was placed in an annex, not used to support core analytical judgments.
The 2020 Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed Russia interfered on Trump's behalf. The committee also determined the dossier was not directly used in the assessment's analytic judgments.
Failed Prosecutions
Previous attempts to prosecute Comey and Brennan have already failed in court. Comey was previously indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia. That prosecution failed after judges determined prosecutor Lindsey Halligan was unlawfully appointed.
“Previous prosecutions of Comey and Brennan -- one in Virginia and the other in Pennsylvania -- both failed, but the new cases are expected to be brought in Florida, where a Trump-appointed judge and potentially Trump-leaning grand jury may lead to a different outcome.”
Brennan's prosecution similarly stalled in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The new cases are expected to be brought in Florida instead.
Florida has a Trump-appointed judge and potentially Trump-leaning grand jury. The strategic location appears designed to overcome previous legal obstacles.
Political Motivation
Officials targeted in the probe have uniformly dismissed it as politically motivated. Brennan's attorneys protested the investigation in a letter to the Florida district's chief judge. They described 'unrelenting presidential pressure to pursue political targets without regard to law or facts'.
Brennan's attorneys noted an 'unprecedented spike in irregular prosecutorial conduct'. This spike relates to grand jury investigations and politically motivated charging decisions.
The investigation raises concerns about DOJ weaponization against political opponents. It comes amid growing concerns about erosion of prosecutorial independence.
Judicial Oversight
The investigation is overseen by Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee. Cannon showed Trump unusual deference during his classified documents investigation. She is the sole federal judge at the Fort Pierce, Florida courthouse.
“The grand jury issuing the subpoenas is being overseen by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, in the Trump-friendly Southern District of Florida. Cannon, who is the sole federal judge at the U.S. courthouse in Fort Pierce, showed the president unusual deference while overseeing special counsel Jack Smith's classified documents investigation against Trump after his first term in office.”
Cannon has demonstrated favorable treatment toward Trump in previous cases. Her role in overseeing this sensitive investigation raises concerns about judicial impartiality.
The Fort Pierce region has a more pro-Trump jury pool than other federal districts. This regional difference could impact the investigation's outcome compared to previous cases.