US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason Reding Quinones, resigned from the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday, according to Attorney General Todd Blanche. Quinones had overseen the expansion of a federal investigation into alleged Russian support for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. A special investigator later concluded that there was no direct collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, a finding that Trump has repeatedly dismissed as a “witch‑hunt.” Quinones, a longtime Trump ally, also supervised the indictment of 94‑year‑old Cuban revolutionary Raúl Castro, part of a broader Trump‑era pressure campaign against Cuba. In a statement, Blanche praised Quinones for his work on violent crime, drug trafficking, sex trafficking and transnational crime, noting the indictment of Castro as a notable achievement. The resignation follows the departure of Harmeet Dhillon, head of the DOJ’s civil rights division, and John Eisenberg, assistant attorney general in charge of the national security division, both of whom also stepped down on Friday. Dhillon had faced criticism for allegedly limiting investigations into anti‑discrimination matters, including a case involving the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. Eisenberg’s resignation was described by Blanche as a “distinguished” service to the nation’s security. Quinones had subpoenaed former CIA director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former FBI Director James Comey as part of the Russia probe, though no charges were filed. Comey was separately indicted in April over a social media post prosecutors alleged was a threat against the president, and the DOJ has reportedly sought to prosecute him for allegedly leaking classified information. A judge dismissed an earlier case against Comey in November, and Comey has criticized the DOJ’s actions as an “appalling abuse” of the department. The exodus of senior DOJ officials comes as Democrats gained control of both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in the midterm elections held on Tuesday. The new congressional majority will have expanded subpoena and oversight powers, and several investigations are expected to focus on the alleged politicization of the Justice Department.
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