Former FBI Director James Comey has been subpoenaed in connection with a wide-ranging investigation being run by a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor in Florida, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News Thursday.
The probe, which focuses on an earlier investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other prosecutions related to President Donald Trump, is being led by Jason A. Reding Quiñones, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. The sprawling probe has been dubbed a “grand conspiracy” investigation by Trump allies.
An attorney for Comey did not have an immediate comment, while Quiñones’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Axios first reported on Comey’s subpoena.
NBC News reported in August that Attorney General Pam Bondi directed Justice Department prosecutors to investigate actions surrounding the 2016 election. While the statute of limitations would normally bar a probe into actions from a decade ago, Trump allies have argued that officials they believe were part of a conspiracy took steps in furtherance of a conspiracy within the five-year statute of limitations.
The Trump administration previously attempted to prosecute Comey over testimony he gave to Congress, but the case was dismissed when a judge ruled that Trump loyalist Lindsey Halligan was unlawfully appointed to her DOJ post.
The Justice Department appealed the ruling, in which a federal judge described Halligan as “a former White House aide with no prior prosecutorial experience,” and defended Halligan’s appointment.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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