Former FBI Director James Comey has been issued a subpoena as part of a federal lawsuit alleging a broad ‘grand conspiracy’ among officials who investigated and prosecuted former President Donald Trump.

This investigation is spearheaded by a prosecutor appointed by Trump in Florida and has resulted in the issuance of over 130 subpoenas since its inception last year, according to sources who spoke with Axios.

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones aims to connect Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, former Special Counsel Jack Smith, and other officials to a grand conspiracy that could lead to formal charges.

The focus of Quiñones’ efforts appears to be on officials who led various investigations into Trump.

As the FBI director, Comey was responsible for overseeing an investigation into whether the 2016 Trump campaign had collaborated with the Russian government.

Brennan, during his tenure as CIA Director, was involved in the initial phases of what eventually became the Russian collusion investigation conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

And Jack Smith led two major investigations into Trump, both of which were scuttled when he won the 2024 election.

One of those focused on Trump’s alleged role in interfering with the lawful transition of power on January 6, 2021. The other focused on Trump’s retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Former FBI Director James Comey was subpoenaed in a federal probe that is going after former officials who investigated President Donald Trump

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith is also reportedly a target of this investigation

The investigation is being led by Jason A. Reding Quiñones, a Trump-appointed prosecutor

Many of the officials targeted had worked under the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. They decried the probe as political persecution and lawfare, according to Axios.

Federal prosecutors have discretion in filing subpoenas, which can seek records or testimony from the people who receive them.

Typically, federal grand jury subpoenas are issued without input from judges or grand jurors. 

Although subpoenas are issued with the court’s authority, judges don’t get involved unless the subject of the subpoena files a motion to quash it.

The subpoena targeting Comey comes after the Trump administration attempted to prosecute him for allegedly giving false testimony in front of Congress in 2020.

The case never got off the ground because Lindsey Halligan, one of Trump’s personal lawyers, was deemed to be illegally appointed as the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, according to a judge.

Halligan was appointed to a 120-day interim term by Attorney General Pam Bondi at the public urging of Trump, who thought his former personal lawyer would pursue prosecutions against his political opponents.

The subpoena targeting Comey comes after the Trump administration attempted to prosecute him for allegedly giving false testimony in front of Congress in 2020 

Trump publicly prodded Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint Lindsey Halligan to prosecute Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Because Halligan’s appointment was ruled unconstitutional, her prosecutions were thrown out

In a November 24 ruling, Judge Cameron McGowan Currie said Halligan could not serve as prosecutor, which led to a blanket dismissal of her cases against Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Currie said the attorney general is only allowed one 120-day appointment in any particular US attorney’s office, which was already used on Halligan’s predecessor, Erik Siebert. Siebert was fired by Trump for choosing not to prosecute Comey and James.

Despite US District Judge David Novak accusing Halligan of masquerading in the role, Halligan continued to ostensibly serve as US Attorney until she stepped down in January 2026, at the conclusion of her 120 days in office.

The Department of Justice has appealed the November 24 ruling but has not yet selected a new prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia.