World • 3h ago
James Comey subpoenaed in Trump-appointed prosecutor's 'grand conspiracy' probe
**FBI Director James Comey Subpoenaed in Wide-Ranging Investigation**
Former FBI Director James Comey has been subpoenaed in connection with a probe led by Jason A. Reding Quiñones, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. According to two sources familiar with the matter, the investigation is part of a broader inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other prosecutions related to President Donald Trump.
The investigation, which has been dubbed a "grand conspiracy" by Trump allies, has been ongoing since Attorney General Pam Bondi directed Justice Department prosecutors to investigate actions surrounding the 2016 election in August. The probe focuses on alleged actions taken by officials that Trump supporters believe were part of a conspiracy. Trump allies argue that the statute of limitations, which normally bars a probe into actions from a decade ago, does not apply in this case because officials allegedly took steps within the five-year statute of limitations to further the conspiracy.
The investigation has been led by Quiñones, who was appointed by the Trump administration. Quiñones' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the subpoena. An attorney for Comey also declined to comment on the matter. The subpoena is the latest development in a long-standing controversy surrounding Comey's testimony to Congress.
The Trump administration previously attempted to prosecute Comey over his testimony, but the case was dismissed when a judge ruled that Lindsey Halligan, a Trump loyalist, was unlawfully appointed to her DOJ post. The Justice Department appealed the ruling, with a federal judge describing Halligan as "a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience" and defending her appointment. The case ultimately did not proceed, and the subpoena of Comey marks a new development in the ongoing investigation.
The investigation has been reported on by Axios, which first broke the news of Comey's subpoena. The probe is part of a broader inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other related prosecutions. The investigation's focus on alleged conspiracy and the involvement of Trump allies has raised questions about the motivations behind the probe.