Justice Department Refocuses Russiagate Probe into Manageable Conspiracy Cases
While supporters of Donald Trump have labeled the so-called Russia investigation and related actions as a "grand conspiracy" to undermine the former president, recent developments reveal a more nuanced prosecutorial approach. According to multiple sources with firsthand knowledge, Joseph diGenova, the veteran prosecutor now leading the Justice Department’s extensive inquiry launched in April, is pursuing several smaller, more focused conspiracy prosecutions rather than attempting to combine all allegations into a single massive case.
DiGenova and his team assessed that consolidating a broad range of alleged misdeeds—such as evidence falsification, perjury, leaking classified information, and obstruction of justice—into one overarching trial would be impractical. One source familiar with diGenova’s strategy noted the logistical difficulty of potentially having as many as 50 defendants appearing together in court.
Before diGenova’s involvement, the investigation into what critics term "Russiagate" was described as disorganized, advancing sporadically over the course of more than a year. With diGenova’s stewardship, the inquiry has adopted a clearer and more disciplined focus to provide the case with needed direction. However, this methodical restructuring represents a tactical change rather than a shift in the underlying theory of the investigation.
Sources state that diGenova's current working theory is that a coalition comprising the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign, elements within the Obama and Biden administrations, certain Democrats in Congress, and aligned agents within government agencies including the FBI and CIA, engaged in a concerted conspiracy spanning nearly a decade. The alleged aim was to violate Trump’s civil rights, disrupt his political campaigns, and destabilize his presidency.
This investigative effort, described as the first comprehensive review of the entire scandal, spans events beginning with Trump’s June 2015 announcement of his presidential candidacy at Trump Tower and continues through significant developments such as the 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago after Trump left office.