DOJ Leadership: Quiñones Resigns After Midterm Losses
The Southern Florida US Attorney stepped down Friday, joining two other senior officials who left the Department of Justice in the days following the midterm elections.
By Matthew Collins ·
Jason Reding Quiñones, the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, has resigned from the Justice Department.
Quiñones announced his departure on Friday. Sources familiar with the matter said he stepped down under pressure from department leadership. This occurred despite his stated willingness to pursue investigations targeting President Donald Trump’s political opponents.
His exit marks the third senior resignation from the Justice Department since this week’s midterm elections. The elections resulted in a significant loss for the Republican Party. Harmeet Dhillon, who led the Civil Rights Division, left her post on Thursday. John Eisenberg, the head of the National Security Division, also announced his resignation on Friday.
Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed Quiñones’ departure in a social media post. Blanche stated that the department is grateful for Quiñones’ leadership.
Quiñones led the office responsible for the “grand conspiracy” probe into Trump’s perceived political enemies. During his one-year tenure, his office secured an indictment against former Cuban president Raúl Castro. This was one of the most consequential criminal cases brought by the administration’s Justice Department.
Tensions between Quiñones and department leadership grew over other investigations. Quiñones sought to use a grand jury in Fort Pierce, Florida, to examine former government officials involved in probes of Trump and his campaign from 2016 to 2024. He promised that his office could bring a case within months. Top Justice officials blamed him when those plans failed to materialize.
Quiñones frequently traveled outside his district, often visiting Washington, DC. Department officials said these trips reminded them of his failure to produce a major case. Many staff members in the Miami office were unaware of his rapid fall from grace before the announcement.
The administration now faces challenges in confirming new officials. The Senate has a Democratic majority following the midterm elections. The president could install acting leaders to fill the vacancies for the remainder of his term.
