Politics briefing

Kurt Olsen leaves DOJ ‘grand conspiracy’ probe of Trump’s foes

Kurt Olsen, a former White House election official who as a private lawyer helped push Donald Trump's false 2020 election claims, left the Justice Department's Florida-based "grand conspiracy" investigation on Monday, Reuters and CNN reported. He is the second high-profile prosecutor exit after Joseph diGenova resigned earlier in September; no charges from the probe have been announced.

By US Brief desk · Updated 2026-09-29T06:10:00-07:00

Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C.

Editor’s note: Primary sourcing: Reuters exclusive (Andrew Goudsward), Sep 28–29, 2026 — two sources said Olsen left the Florida inquiry; a third said he is still at DOJ (employment vs. probe role may differ). CNN (Hannah Rabinowitz, Tierney Sneed), Sep 28, 2026 — person familiar said Olsen left DOJ Monday; notes level of involvement in the Miami probe was unknown publicly. diGenova resignation timing (~two weeks earlier) and probe focus (2016 Russia assessment; Mar-a-Lago documents; alleged conspiracy against Trump) follow Reuters. Brennan target call and Olsen's 2020 litigation history follow Reuters/CNN. US Brief states clearly that Trump's widespread 2020 voter-fraud claims are false; that is established fact, not partisan commentary. No criminal charges from this probe were reported as of these accounts.

Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who helped advance Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and later served as a White House election-security official, left the Justice Department's Miami-based "grand conspiracy" investigation on Monday, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters and CNN.

What happened: Reuters, citing two sources, said Olsen decided to leave the Florida inquiry run by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami; a third Reuters source said he is still employed at the Justice Department, which may mean he left the probe but not the department. CNN, citing a person familiar with the departure, reported that Olsen left DOJ on Monday. His exit comes a little more than two weeks after Joseph diGenova, who had been overseeing the investigation, resigned after clashing with department leadership, Reuters reported. One Reuters source said Olsen grew disillusioned with the inquiry after diGenova left.

What the probe is: The investigation seeks to establish that Trump was the victim of a criminal conspiracy by former federal law enforcement and intelligence officials, Reuters reported. It is examining the U.S. intelligence assessment that Russia sought to aid Trump's 2016 campaign and the later classified-documents investigation centered on Mar-a-Lago. Court filings this month said Olsen led a call with lawyers for former CIA Director John Brennan, who has been told he is a target, Reuters and CNN reported. No charges from the probe were announced in Monday's reporting.

Olsen's record on 2020: As a private lawyer, Olsen helped push Trump's false claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election — claims that have been repeatedly debunked in courts and by election officials. CNN noted he pressed the first-term Justice Department to file a Supreme Court challenge to battleground results and later faced Arizona Supreme Court sanctions tied to a 2022 election lawsuit. At the White House this term, CNN reported, he was involved in reviews of 2020 results and election machinery, including a referral that led to an FBI seizure of Fulton County, Georgia, ballots.

Why it matters: A second senior exit in weeks underscores instability inside a politically charged DOJ project that treats Trump as the victim of a conspiracy — even as the 2020 fraud narrative Olsen championed remains false. Personnel turnover does not by itself end the Miami investigation.

Uncertainty: Reuters' sources disagree on whether Olsen remains a DOJ employee. CNN said his level of involvement in the conspiracy probe was not publicly known. US Brief has not seen an official DOJ statement confirming the departure.

What's next: Watch whether DOJ names a replacement for Olsen on the Miami team, any Brennan-related filings, and whether the probe produces charges or further resignations.

Method note: US Brief digests are AI-assisted from the US Brief desk. We synthesize reputable reporting with cited sources; we do not invent quotes, figures, or forecasts.

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Kurt Olsen leaves DOJ ‘grand conspiracy’ probe of Trump’s foes

Kurt Olsen, a former White House election official who as a private lawyer helped push Donald Trump's false 2020 election claims, left the Justice Department's Florida-based "grand conspiracy" investigation on Monday, Reuters and CNN reported. He is the second high-profile prosecutor exit after Joseph diGenova resigned earlier in September; no charges from the probe have been announced.

By US Brief desk · Updated 2026-09-29T06:10:00-07:00

AI-assisted digests from the US Brief desk. Synthesizes reputable reporting with cited sources; not a wire service. Corrections welcomed.

Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building in Washington, D.C.

Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who helped advance Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and later served as a White House election-security official, left the Justice Department's Miami-based "grand conspiracy" investigation on Monday, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters and CNN.

What happened: Reuters, citing two sources, said Olsen decided to leave the Florida inquiry run by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami; a third Reuters source said he is still employed at the Justice Department, which may mean he left the probe but not the department. CNN, citing a person familiar with the departure, reported that Olsen left DOJ on Monday. His exit comes a little more than two weeks after Joseph diGenova, who had been overseeing the investigation, resigned after clashing with department leadership, Reuters reported. One Reuters source said Olsen grew disillusioned with the inquiry after diGenova left.

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