Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday deflected a question about whether he pushed for the resignation of Joe diGenova, a Trump ally who recently left the Justice Department, following reports of a heated phone call between the two just before his exit.
Speaking to reporters during a Rose Garden press briefing, Blanche declined to discuss the matter, saying, "I don't want to talk about communications I have with prosecutors. It's not fair to them. It's not fair to the process."
He then expressed appreciation for diGenova's service, noting, "He resigned last week. He came out of retirement to help the president, and to help us and we are very appreciative of the work that he did."
DiGenova, who was brought on in April to head an investigation targeting several of President Trump's political adversaries, stepped down last week. He suggested that the pace of work was being pushed too aggressively.
In an interview with The Associated Press, diGenova explained his departure: "There's plenty of evidence in all of these cases to prove the theories of prosecution. It just takes time to get there, and some people want to get there a little faster than others — and you can't do that."
He also told the New York Post, "If you want indictments where there's no evidence, you have an ethical problem."
CNN, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported Monday that diGenova resigned a day after a tense phone call with Blanche. Blanche responded to the reports by noting that diGenova had said "some different things to different outlets, which is fine."
Blanche emphasized that the work would continue, stating, "Any investigations that he's working of course continue, like they do, like any investigation does when somebody leaves. And we're not going to slow down just because somebody leaves."
According to reports, prosecutors on the case have been focusing on former CIA Director John Brennan and have also sought information about individuals involved in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case against the president during the Biden administration.
The resignation has raised questions about the stability of the Justice Department's politically sensitive probes, though Blanche's comments suggest the administration intends to press forward without interruption.
