John Yoo, Author of Torture Memos, Joins DOJ Probe into Alleged Conspiracy Against Trump

John Yoo, the conservative law professor known for authoring the so-called torture memos that justified harsh interrogation techniques after 9/11, has joined the Department of Justice investigation into whether former police and intelligence officials conspired against President Donald Trump. Yoo confirmed his involvement to the Associated Press on Monday, stating he will advise prosecutor Joe diGenova, who was assigned in April to probe if officials who scrutinized Trump over the past decade engaged in a criminal conspiracy. DiGenova described Yoo as a lawyer helping the team but declined to elaborate. Yoo, a professor at UC Berkeley, served as a senior Justice Department official under George W. Bush and was a lead author of the memos later rescinded by the DOJ. He remains a prominent advocate for broad executive power, having told the AP in 2020 that a Supreme Court ruling on DACA opened the door to expanded presidential authority. The conspiracy investigation is based in Florida, but its scope and potential charges remain unclear.