Joseph diGenova

Joseph diGenova
United States Attorney for the District of Columbia
In office
December 2, 1983 – March 1, 1988
President Ronald Reagan
Preceded by Stanley S. Harris
Succeeded by Jay B. Stephens
Personal details
Born (1945-02-22) February 22, 1945
Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s)
Education University of Cincinnati (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)

Joseph diGenova (born February 22, 1945) is an American attorney who served as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1983 to 1988.[1][2] He is known for promoting conspiracy theories about the Department of Justice and the FBI.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

Career in law and politics

As a U.S. Attorney, diGenova led the prosecution of Jonathan Pollard, who pleaded guilty in 1987 to spying for Israel.[11] DiGenova later served as Independent Counsel investigating the 1992 preelection search of then-candidate Bill Clinton's passport file by officials of the George H. W. Bush administration.[12] Earlier in his career, he was an aide to Republican Senator Charles Mathias of Maryland.[11] DiGenova called on President Trump to pardon Scooter Libby, adviser of Dick Cheney, who was found guilty of perjury in an investigation revolving around leaks of sensitive classified material.[13] DiGenova is married to Libby's lawyer, Victoria Toensing.[14] Trump pardoned Libby on April 13, 2018.[15][16]

Russia probe conspiracy theories

DiGenova, who frequently appears as an analyst and commentator on Fox News, has accused FBI officials of trying to "frame" President Donald Trump for what he claims are nonexistent crimes.[17] On March 19, 2018, he and his spouse, Victoria Toensing, were hired to serve on Trump's legal team for the Special Counsel investigation.[4] However, Trump backtracked the hires several days later due to potential conflicts-of-interest.[18] The president hoped diGenova could function as a stand-in for him on television and spearhead the attacks on Mueller and the investigation.[19]

In April 2018, DiGenova called for the firing of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, said that special counsel Robert Mueller's team investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election were "legal terrorists" and called former FBI Director James Comey "a dirty cop".[3] In May 2018 tweet, Trump quoted DiGenova as saying "The recusal of Jeff Sessions was an unforced betrayal of the President of the United States."[20]

Court appointment

On September 18, 2018, diGenova discounted charges that U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, while drunk, had sexually assaulted a 15-year-old Christine Blasey Ford at a party. The allegations referred to a time when Kavanaugh was attending Georgetown Preparatory School. On Fox News, diGenova said if Ford testified, "...she's going to look like the loon that she is".[21]

References

  1. ↑ Lewis, Nancy (January 13, 1988). "Digenova Turns In Resignation". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  2. ↑ LaFraniere, Sharon (February 29, 1988). "Digenova's Legacy". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Sheth, Sonam (April 11, 2018). "Former federal prosecutor Joseph diGenova calls for Rosenstein's firing on Fox News after Trump tells people to tune in to the 'big show'". Business Insider. Retrieved April 12, 2018. DiGenova and his wife, Victoria Toensing, both used to work within the US Justice Department, but later made their reputations peddling conspiracy theories on TV about the DOJ and FBI.
  4. 1 2 Haberman, Maggie; Schmidt, Michael S. (March 19, 2018). "Trump Hires Lawyer Who Has Pushed Theory That Justice Dept. Framed the President". The New York Times. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  5. ↑ Blake, Aaron (March 19, 2018). "Analysis | Trump just hired a deep-state conspiracy theorist as his lawyer. Here's what Joe diGenova has said". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  6. ↑ Sheth, Sonam (March 19, 2018). "Trump is reportedly set to hire a new lawyer who called Comey 'a dirty cop' and accused the FBI of trying to 'frame' Trump". Business Insider. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  7. ↑ "The bizarre conspiracy theories peddled by Donald Trump's new lawyer". The Independent. 2018-03-20. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
  8. ↑ Hart, Benjamin. "Trump's Conspiracy Theory Lawyer Dropped From Team Before Starting". Daily Intelligencer. Retrieved 2018-08-18. DiGenova is known as a fierce defender of Trump who has used frequent guest appearances on Fox News to advance far-out conspiracy theories that the FBI is trying to frame the president.
  9. ↑ Tibon, Amir (2018-03-20). "Trump's New Lawyer: The Man Who Sent Jonathan Pollard to Jail". Haaretz. Retrieved 2018-08-18. Joseph diGenova has promoted conspiracy theories about a ‘deep state’ attempt to ‘frame’ Trump and his campaign for criminal activities
  10. ↑ Breuninger, Kevin (2018-03-27). "Here are the lawyers who quit or declined to represent Trump in the Mueller probe". CNBC. Retrieved 2018-08-18. DiGenova, a regular Fox News guest, had spouted conspiracy theories about the Mueller probe's motives against Trump.
  11. 1 2 Kutner, Max (March 19, 2018). "Who Is Joseph diGenova, Trump's Newest Pick to Defend Him in Mueller Probe?". Newsweek. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  12. ↑ Pincus, Walter (December 1, 1995). "Independent Counsel calls '92 Clinton passport search "stupid" but not illegal". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  13. ↑ Baker, Peter; Haberman, Maggie (April 12, 2018). "Trump Plans to Pardon Scooter Libby for Perjury in C.I.A. Leak Case". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  14. ↑ Swanson, Ian (April 13, 2018). "Trump pardons Scooter Libby, saying he was 'treated unfairly'". The Hill. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  15. ↑ Liptak, Kevin (April 13, 2018). "Trump pardons ex-Cheney aide Scooter Libby". CNN. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  16. ↑ Knowles, Michael (April 13, 2018). "Trump Rightly Pardons Scooter Libby A Decade After Bush Refused". The Daily Wire. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  17. ↑ Lucey, Catherine (March 25, 2018). "Trump is staffing — or casting from Fox". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  18. ↑ Haberman, Maggie; Landler, Mark; Schmidt, Michael S. (March 25, 2018). "Trump Won't Hire 2 Lawyers Whose Appointments Were Announced Days Ago". The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  19. ↑ Dawsey, Josh; Leonnig, Carol D.; Wagner, John (March 25, 2018). "In another blow to Trump's efforts to combat Russia probe, diGenova will no longer join legal team". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Trump Again Says He Wishes Sessions Were Not Attorney General". The New York Times. 2018-05-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
  21. ↑ Fox News guest claims Christine Blasey Ford will look like the "loon that she is." if she testifies against Brett Kavanaugh, Newsweek, Jason Lemire, September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
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