Prosecutor brought in to lead investigation of Trump foes tells AP that he has resigned his position

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WASHINGTON (AP) — An ally of President Donald Trump said Thursday that he has resigned from his post leading a Justice Department investigation into whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired against the Republican president.

“I did in fact resign,” Joe diGenova told The Associated Press, calling it an “honor and a privilege” to serve Trump and the Justice Department.

He declined to comment on the circumstances of his departure, which came just five months after he was brought back to the Justice Department to help oversee a loosely defined investigation targeting former government officials who over the last decade had scrutinized Trump.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The departure injects instant tumult into the investigation, which had shown recent signs of accelerating its pace with new subpoenas demanding testimony before a federal grand jury in Florida, where the investigation has been based.

The 81-year-old diGenova served as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia during the Reagan administration. A close Trump ally, he was brought back to the Justice Department in April and given responsibility for an investigation aimed at trying to establish a conspiracy against Trump.

diGenova had previously asked then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint him to the job and has openly and repeatedly claimed Trump was the victim of an intelligence community conspiracy.