Sources claim that panic has broken out within the Department of Justice following the resignation of two prosecutors from the Southern District of Florida. This was in the wake of what is being described as an extensive “conspiracy investigation” tied to the controversial Trump-Russia probe.
Reports indicate that the newly appointed U.S. attorney Jason Reding Quinones convened an urgent divisional meeting on Monday after the resignations by the two prosecutors asked to take part in this sensitive investigation. Members of the Major Crimes Division, which is one of largest and experienced units of the District, comprised of over two dozen career prosecutors, attended the meeting.
Sources within the office have told MSNBC the mood was intense and that “everyone” is on edge as they prepare for possible assignments in relation to the controversial investigation.
According to reports, the investigation targets former law enforcement and intelligence officials who were linked to allegations of 2016 Russia collusion — a story that President Trump long has characterized as a political hoax. Among the names of those who have been named by subpoenas recently approved are John Brennan, formerly Director of CIA, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, formerly FBI lawyer.
WATCH:
According to sources, the Justice Department issued more than 30 subpoenas on Friday. Instead of being issued through a typical line prosecutor, some subpoenas were reportedly signed by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Manolo Reboso — the third-highest-ranking official in the office.
MSNBC reported the Southern District of Florida seemed to ignore what legal experts described was standard protocol for issuing subpoenas. Instead, they had a leader approve some of them instead of the prosecutor who oversees the investigation.
Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Reboso, the third-highest-ranking official in the office, generally handles administrative duties such as operations and human resources, while also coordinating with the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. Sources familiar with tensions inside the SDFL have said that one prosecutor resigned because they felt “there was something in which they couldn’t participate because it would be against their ethics.”
Reboso is usually in charge of administrative work and not investigative tasks, so his participation was even more noteworthy. Two line prosecutors who were asked to participate in the investigation resigned last week, escalating internal tensions.
Bloomberg Law reported that a source said at least one person resigned citing the “ethical responsibility” which they believed would be breached if he or she continued in their role.
Update: After being invited to join the grand jury, two DOJ line prosecutors resigned. They were both accused of leaks by Miami supervisors. Both have ended their promising career as prosecutors. https://t.co/AWR4HxPSPs
— Ben Penn (@benjaminpenn) November 7, 2025
Subpoenas are issued to obtain documents, email, and texts relating to intelligence assessments of Russian interference during the 2016 elections. The time frame requested is from July 1, 2016, through to February 28, 2017. This covers the months from the end of the election campaign until Trump’s inaugural month.
Many of the requested materials are classified, and may be in the hands of federal agencies. This suggests that coordination among multiple intelligence agencies is necessary to comply.
Prior investigations, including those conducted by the Special Counsel John Durham, DOJ Inspector-General Michael Horowitz, have found that criminal charges against former officials such as Brennan, Strzok and Page were not warranted. This new round of subpoenas suggests that the Southern District of Florida will be taking another look at any potential misrepresentations or misconduct that may have occurred in the Trump-Russia period.
The move, if the reports are true, could be a major shift in the way the Justice Department deals with legacy cases from 2016 — for the first, it might mean that the “Deep State”, as they call themselves, will face its day of reckoning.
