Full Breakdown
Kurt Olsen Leaves DOJ’s “Grand Conspiracy” Probe Amid Growing Turmoil
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Resignation of a Trump-Aligned Lawyer from the Florida Investigation
Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida. Olsen had been assigned to the department’s “grand conspiracy” investigation, which seeks to determine whether intelligence and law-enforcement officials conspired to undermine Trump. His departure follows the resignation of lead prosecutor Joseph diGenova only weeks earlier.
Background & Context
Olsen’s career before joining the Justice Department centered on election-law litigation. In 2020 he urged the Supreme Court to overturn the election results on behalf of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and later represented Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, a case that resulted in sanctions from the Arizona Supreme Court for false statements. While serving in the White House, Olsen referred the Fulton County, Georgia, election-records case to the FBI, leading to a raid that seized more than 600 boxes of ballots. He also oversaw a failed review of voting equipment in Puerto Rico, promoting unsubstantiated claims about the assessment firm.
The “grand conspiracy” probe, launched in 2025 and run out of Miami, attempts to link investigations into the 2016 Russian interference, the classified-documents case at Mar-a-Lago, and other inquiries into Trump’s allies into a single alleged plot by Obama- and Biden-era officials. To date, the investigation has produced no indictments.
Data & Statistics
- Approximately a dozen election-denying lawyers were hired by the Trump administration; Olsen was among the most prominent.
- The Fulton County raid resulted in the seizure of “more than 600 boxes” of documents, according to FBI filings.
- Senate letters in May demanded Olsen’s removal for exceeding the 130-day limit for special-government employees.
Official Statements & Responses
- A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on Olsen’s resignation.
- Attorneys for former CIA Director John Brennan disclosed that Olsen had indicated Brennan was a target in a false-statements probe, as reflected in recent court filings.
- A senior DOJ official, speaking on condition of anonymity, asserted that the investigation “continues” and expressed confidence in the remaining team of experienced prosecutors.
- Two former prosecutors were hired to re-staff the task force shortly after Olsen’s exit.
Criticism & Opposition
Career prosecutors and legal ethicists have raised concerns about using federal resources to pursue unsubstantiated political theories. Security-clearance officials reportedly restricted Olsen’s access to classified material because of his prior promotion of false election claims, limiting his ability to investigate alleged foreign-intelligence involvement.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Number of departures: One source claimed seven to eight attorneys have left the probe, while another insisted the total is four, noting that some departures were the result of temporary detail assignments ending.
- Reason for resignation: Some accounts attribute Olsen’s exit to frustration over pressure from senior DOJ leadership to secure indictments before the midterms; other reports cite ongoing security-clearance disputes as the primary factor.
- Future of the probe: No definitive timeline has been provided for when—or if—the investigation will produce charges, and the extent of evidence gathered remains undisclosed.
What’s Next
The Justice Department has announced the addition of two new former prosecutors to the Miami team, and subpoenas targeting individuals such as former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI Director James Comey, and former intelligence director James Clapper remain active. Congressional oversight committees on both sides of the aisle have signaled intentions to hold hearings on the internal workings of the “grand conspiracy” investigation and the recent resignations. The outcome of these inquiries, along with the ability of the re-staffed task force to build a legally viable case, will determine whether the probe advances or stalls permanently.