Election denier Kurt Olsen steps down from “grand conspiracy” case, but remains on DOJ payroll, official says

September 30, 2026 / 4:32 PM EDT / CBS News

Kurt Olsen, an election denier who attempted to overturn the 2020 election results in favor of President Trump, is resigning from his role in the "grand conspiracy" investigation targeting Obama- and Biden-era officials, a Justice Department official said on Wednesday.

Olsen announced his intention to depart from the case in an email on Monday to the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

CBS News reported on Monday that Olsen was resigning from the Justice Department, after DOJ officials in both Miami and Washington misinterpreted Olsen's email and thought he was leaving the federal government altogether, a department official said on Wednesday.

It was only after multiple media outlets ran stories about his resignation that Olsen later called Justice Department officials to clarify that he still intends to remain employed there as an attorney, the official said.

Olsen did not return an email seeking comment.

Confusion over Olsen's role spilled into public view earlier on Wednesday, when Attorney General Todd Blanche was asked about the news reports of Olsen's resignation during an unrelated press conference.

"Kurt Olsen has not resigned," Blanche said, adding that there was an "incredible amount…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/