DOJ Advances 'Grand Conspiracy' Probe with Subpoenas to Russiagate Officials, Indictments of Key Figures

The Justice Department, under President Trump's appointees, has issued more than two dozen grand jury subpoenas as part of a sweeping criminal investigation into alleged Democratic-led efforts to undermine his 2016 campaign and subsequent presidency, sources familiar with the matter told multiple outlets on November 10, 2025. The probe, centered in Florida's Southern District, targets figures central to the Trump-Russia investigation, including former CIA Director John Brennan, ex-FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, and others tied to the Steele Dossier and Crossfire Hurricane. A grand jury empaneled in Miami is set to convene January 12, 2026, signaling formal charges could follow soon after.

The inquiry, described by Trump allies as a "grand conspiracy" spanning three presidential elections, examines whether Obama-era officials and Democratic operatives coordinated to fabricate ties between Trump and Russia, influencing the 2016 race, impeachments, and 2020 election. U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, a Trump appointee, leads the effort, which expanded from an initial focus on Brennan to encompass broader lawfare allegations. Conservative attorney Mike Davis, a close advisor, confirmed to podcasters in October that the grand jury would probe "manufactured and politicized intelligence" as part of a "years-long coup."

Newly unearthed emails released November 7 further implicate Special Counsel Jack Smith's team in obstructing a 2019 FBI inquiry into the Clinton campaign's funding of the Steele Dossier, a 35-page opposition research file alleging Trump-Russia ties. The dossier, compiled by ex-MI6 officer Christopher Steele and funded through Fusion GPS by Perkins Coie on behalf of Clinton's campaign and the DNC, formed the basis for FISA warrants on Trump aide Carter Page. Prosecutors revealed that two Smith-associated officials—former DOJ Public Integrity Section chief Corey Ellis and deputy Patricia McCabe—intervened to shut down the FBI probe into whether the campaign concealed the payments as legal expenses, violating Federal Election Campaign Act disclosure rules.

The emails, from FBI agent William Aldenberg's 2019 referral, show Ellis emailing McCabe in October 2019: "We need to kill this before it gets legs." McCabe replied, "Agreed—too close to the election cycle." Aldenberg's inquiry sought to determine if the $1 million in Perkins Coie payments qualified as contributions requiring FEC reporting. The blockage, detailed in Acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan's filing, contradicts Smith's 2023 report denying political bias in his Trump probes.

This revelation bolsters the broader conspiracy narrative. The FBI launched the investigation in June 2025, quietly probing a decade of actions from the dossier's origins to Smith's indictments of Trump. Indictments already issued include former FBI Director James Comey on September 25, 2025, for false statements and obstruction related to his 2020 Senate testimony on Clinton email leaks; New York Attorney General Letitia James on similar charges for her Trump civil fraud case; and former National Security Advisor John Bolton on October 16 for mishandling classified documents. All three pleaded not guilty, with Comey and James challenging Halligan's appointment as unlawful.

Subpoenas, approved last week, demand records from Brennan on the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment concluding Russia favored Trump; Strzok and Page on their anti-Trump texts and FISA applications; and others like former DNI James Clapper. The assessment, declassified in 2020, relied heavily on the Steele Dossier, later discredited by the Durham report as unverified. Durham's 2023 findings criticized FBI for launching Crossfire Hurricane on thin evidence—a tip from Australian diplomats about a Trump aide's Russian contacts—and ignoring dossier flaws.

The Florida grand jury, impaneled October 25, 2025, under Quiñones, stems from a referral by Trump's intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard alleging Obama officials "manufactured" intelligence for a "coup." It encompasses Russiagate origins, the dossier's role, and Smith's prosecutions, viewed as extensions of the hoax. Davis told The Charlie Kirk Show the jury targets "deep-state" actors who "delegitimized" Trump's win.

Legal challenges mount: Comey and James argue vindictive prosecution and improper U.S. attorney appointments. Bolton's case, distinct in classified mishandling, proceeds separately. Statutes of limitations loom for some offenses, like false statements (five years), potentially expiring in 2026.

The probe, approved by Attorney General Pam Bondi, reflects a commitment to accountability for documented instances of politicized law enforcement, as detailed in the 2019 Inspector General report on FISA errors and the 2023 Durham findings on FBI misconduct. With subpoenas compelling testimony and evidence, the case could establish precedents for holding officials responsible for the 2016-2020 investigations, potentially leading to trials amid the 2026 midterms.