Justice Department escalates probe into Trump-Russia inquiry with new grand jury subpoenas

The U.S. Justice Department is escalating its year-long investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe by issuing new grand jury subpoenas in Florida, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The move signals a more aggressive phase in an inquiry that seeks to establish whether intelligence officials conspired against President Donald Trump.

Investigators have recently contacted defense lawyers for several former government officials, notifying them that grand jury subpoenas were forthcoming. As of Tuesday, it remained unclear how many witnesses had received the subpoenas or were still awaiting them. The identities of those targeted were not immediately disclosed.

The investigation, run out of Florida, is examining whether intelligence community members who scrutinized Trump over the past decade — including over Russian interference in the 2016 election — violated his rights or engaged in a conspiracy. The probe has focused heavily on the intelligence community's assessment that Moscow meddled in the election on Trump's behalf, a finding Trump has long dismissed as a "deep state" plot.

Prosecutors have conducted numerous voluntary interviews in recent months, but the new subpoenas aim to secure sworn testimony before a grand jury. It is still unclear whether any charges will be filed or what offenses might be alleged. Lawyers for former CIA Director John Brennan have said they were informed he is a target, with investigators examining whether he falsely testified to Congress — a claim Brennan has denied.

The investigation is being led by Joe diGenova, a veteran prosecutor brought back into government service in April. His team has also sought interviews with law enforcement officials involved in the 2022 FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago property. Investigators have established a presence in Fort Pierce, Florida, the court of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who dismissed the classified documents case against Trump.

Brennan's lawyers have previously sought to prevent the investigation from being steered to Cannon and have sued the administration to preserve records, arguing any potential prosecution would be vindictive.

The FBI and Justice Department's earlier Russia probe found insufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump's campaign and Moscow, though it noted the campaign welcomed Russian help. Subsequent reviews identified errors in the probe but found no evidence of an anti-Trump conspiracy — a conclusion the current investigation seeks to challenge.