The Justice Department is intensifying its investigations into individuals perceived as political adversaries of President Donald Trump. This week, a federal grand jury in Albany, New York, issued subpoenas to New York Attorney General Letitia James. Sources familiar with the matter indicated the subpoenas are related to the civil fraud case James brought against Trump, his adult children, and their business, which resulted in a $450 million judgment. James's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, characterized the move as a "blatant and desperate example of how this administration is carrying out Trump's campaign of retribution" and weaponizing the DOJ to punish an elected official.
In a related development, Fox reported that Ed Martin has been appointed as a special prosecutor to investigate alleged mortgage fraud by James and separately by California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who played a significant role in Trump's first impeachment. A source confirmed this report to NPR. Martin previously served as U.S. attorney in D.C. but faced concerns regarding his support for individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
Meanwhile, Joe diGenova, a Trump loyalist who had been tapped to oversee a broad DOJ conspiracy investigation targeting Trump's political opponents, abruptly resigned on Thursday. Sources told ABC News that diGenova's resignation came amid frustrations from Trump and senior DOJ officials regarding his work on the investigation, which has yet to result in any criminal prosecutions despite numerous subpoenas. DiGenova had pitched himself to Trump as someone who could accelerate this investigation.
