Top Miami Prosecutor Behind Trump's 'Grand Conspiracy' Probe Abruptly Resigns
Jason Reding Quiñones stepped down as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida barely a year into the job, capping a week of Justice Department exits that followed the GOP's brutal midterm losses.
Jason Reding Quiñones resigned Friday as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, abruptly departing the post that put him in charge of some of the Justice Department's highest-profile investigations into President Trump's perceived political enemies.
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the departure on X, thanking Quiñones for his service and crediting his office with securing the indictment of former Cuban president Raúl Castro's son. Quiñones gave no reason for leaving in his own statement, writing only that he was departing "with immense pride in what we accomplished together."
But multiple outlets reported the exit was far from voluntary. CBS News reported sources described tension over the office's sprawling "grand conspiracy" investigation, including a clash with outside attorney Joe diGenova and a decision by senior DOJ leadership to send two lawyers from Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter's office to Florida to help manage the case. NBC News reported that senior officials were also unhappy with Quiñones' management style, including complaints that he spent too much time in Washington rather than running his Miami office.
Part of a Bigger DOJ Exodus
Quiñones' departure lands in the same week as other high-profile Justice Department exits, including Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg and, days earlier, civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon — a wave of departures that The Hill reports followed Republicans' bruising midterm losses this week.
LEAVING WITH IMMENSE PRIDE IN WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER.
Quiñones, a U.S. Army Reservist, was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as the top federal prosecutor in South Florida in August 2025. His office handled a string of politically sensitive cases during his tenure, and his abrupt exit leaves that docket, including the still-active "grand conspiracy" probe, in the hands of whoever the administration names next.
No successor had been announced as of Friday night. The Southern District of Florida's Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach offices continue to operate under First Assistant U.S. Attorney leadership in the interim, according to Local 10 News.