Three senior officials at the US Department of Justice have resigned in the days since Democrats swept the midterm elections, including the prosecutor who led President Donald Trump's sweeping investigation into his political opponents.

Jason Reding Quiñones, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, resigned on Friday, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on social media. John Eisenberg, who led the department's National Security Division, also resigned on Friday. Harmeet Dhillon, who headed the Civil Rights Division, left her post on Thursday.

The departures amount to a shake-up at the top of the Justice Department just as Democrats are poised to take control of Congress and its oversight powers — and they leave the future of the Trump administration's most politically charged investigation in doubt.

The prosecutor behind the 'grand conspiracy' probe

Quiñones was the first US attorney appointed by Trump to be confirmed by the Senate, taking up the South Florida post in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg. As the top federal prosecutor in one of the country's most prominent districts, he oversaw the department's wide-ranging investigation into whether former intelligence and law-enforcement officials conspired against Trump — an inquiry the president's allies called the "grand conspiracy" probe.

The investigation, begun in August 2025, examined whether officials involved in the inquiries into Trump's 2016 campaign and the intelligence assessment of Russian interference in that election had conspired to undermine him. It led to subpoenas of former CIA director John Brennan, former director of national intelligence James Clapper and former FBI director James Comey, according to the New York Post.

But more than a year on, no charges have been filed in connection with the probe. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the investigation had been abandoned in favour of a narrower set of related cases run out of Washington.

The probe's targets included some of the most senior figures in US intelligence. Brennan and Clapper were accused by the administration of shaping the January 2017 intelligence assessment that concluded Russia had interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump. Both have denied wrongdoing, and no charges have been brought against either of them.

Why Quiñones fell out of favour

According to CNN, citing sources familiar with the matter, Quiñones resigned under pressure from department leadership, despite his willingness to pursue some of the most controversial investigations the president wanted. The New York Times reported that administration officials were frustrated with what it called his "inability to demonstrate progress on the grand conspiracy cases".

Quiñones had promised that his office could bring a case within months against former government officials involved in the Trump investigations, CNN reported. When those plans failed to materialise, top Justice Department officials blamed him.

His tenure was not without a notable success. During his year in the post, his office won what CNN called one of the most consequential criminal indictments brought by the Trump Justice Department: the indictment of former Cuban president Raúl Castro. Announcing the departure, Blanche praised Quiñones' leadership "in combatting violent crime, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and transnational crime, including the indictment of Raúl Castro".

Quiñones said in a statement that he was leaving "with immense pride in what we accomplished together and profound gratitude for the opportunity to serve our great Nation". He thanked Trump "for his trust" and praised "the extraordinary men and women of the great Southern District of Florida".

"If you want indictments where there's no evidence, you have an ethical problem." — Joe diGenova, who resigned as head of the "grand conspiracy" investigation in September, on why he stepped down

A probe that was already unravelling

Quiñones was not the first senior figure to walk away from the investigation. Joe diGenova, a Trump ally appointed in April to lead the probe, abruptly resigned on 10 September, telling the New York Post: "If you want indictments where there's no evidence, you have an ethical problem." Kurt Olsen, another Trump ally working on the investigation, resigned a few weeks later. Several individuals testified before a grand jury in Fort Pierce, Florida, but charges have yet to be filed.

Bloomberg reported that the investigation would continue under Yara Klukas, the first assistant US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, who is expected to take over the office in an acting capacity. A person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg the department plans for the probe to continue under her leadership.

The other departures

Eisenberg, the assistant attorney general in charge of the National Security Division, oversaw prosecutions involving terrorism, espionage and leaks of classified information. He also oversaw the investigation that resulted in former national security adviser John Bolton pleading guilty in June to retaining classified information on his personal computer, according to the New York Post.

A senior administration official told the New York Post that Eisenberg had long fallen out of favour with the attorney general, including over what the official described as going too soft on Bolton. Blanche also announced Eisenberg's departure on Friday, and Eisenberg's government email now issues an automatic reply saying he has "left the Department".

Dhillon, a Trump ally who served as assistant attorney general for civil rights, resigned on Thursday, a day before the other two departures. According to the New York Post, she had notified the White House of her intention to leave in mid-October.

What is not yet clear is whether the three resignations are the end of the turnover or the start of it. The Wall Street Journal reported that further departures from the Justice Department are expected, and CNN reported that the shake-up had been expected for weeks — including that some officials are expected to return to lucrative jobs at law firms.

What it means for the Justice Department

The resignations come at an awkward moment for the administration. With Democrats now set to control both chambers of Congress, the department's senior officials face the prospect of oversight investigations into their own conduct. Democrats have signalled that Blanche and other Justice Department officials will be in the "hot seat", according to the New York Post.

Filling the vacant posts could also prove difficult. CNN reported that the administration is expected to have trouble confirming new officials with a Democratic Senate, though the president could install acting leaders to run the divisions for the rest of his term.

Attorney General Blanche has sought to restore control over the department, CNN reported, with some officials — including Quiñones and Dhillon — viewed as causing problems by making high-profile promises they could not deliver on. The departures may therefore suit Blanche as much as they reflect the midterm result. Either way, they mark the effective end of the department's most ambitious effort to prosecute Trump's perceived enemies — an effort that, after more than a year, produced subpoenas and headlines, but no charges.

Frequently asked questions

What was the "grand conspiracy" investigation?

It was a Justice Department investigation, begun in August 2025 and run out of the Southern District of Florida, into whether former intelligence and law-enforcement officials conspired against Trump — in particular over the 2016 election investigations and the intelligence assessment of Russian interference. It subpoenaed former CIA director John Brennan, former intelligence chief James Clapper and former FBI director James Comey, but filed no charges.

Why did Quiñones resign?

Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the resignation without giving a reason. CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Quiñones resigned under pressure from department leadership, and the New York Times reported that officials were frustrated with his "inability to demonstrate progress" on the conspiracy cases.

Does the investigation continue?

Bloomberg reported that the department plans for the probe to continue under Yara Klukas, the first assistant US attorney in South Florida, who is expected to take over in an acting capacity. The Wall Street Journal reported that the broad probe has been abandoned in favour of a narrower set of related cases run out of Washington.

Why does this matter now?

The resignations follow Democrats' victories in the midterm elections, which give them control of Congress and its oversight powers. The administration may struggle to get new senior Justice Department officials confirmed by a Democratic Senate, and Democrats have signalled they intend to investigate the department's conduct under Trump.

Key takeaways

  • Three senior Justice Department officials resigned in the days after the midterms: Jason Reding Quiñones, John Eisenberg and Harmeet Dhillon.
  • Quiñones led the "grand conspiracy" investigation into Trump's political foes. More than a year after it began, it has produced subpoenas but no charges — and the Wall Street Journal reports it has now been abandoned in favour of narrower cases.
  • Quiñones' one major success was the indictment of former Cuban president Raúl Castro. He was, according to CNN, pushed out after promising a case against former officials that never materialised.
  • The departures leave the department facing Democratic oversight of its own conduct, and a Democratic Senate that may be reluctant to confirm replacements.

What to watch next: whether further resignations follow at the Justice Department, who the administration names to lead the three divisions — and whether Democrats, once they take control of Congress, open formal oversight investigations into the "grand conspiracy" probe and the officials who ran it.