it not DOJ it the Manhattan DA’s office. The same DA office which has been the DNC point man for the ongoing Trump smear jobs.
From the article: "Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two Florida businessmen, have been under investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, and are expected to appear in federal court in Virginia later on Thursday, the people said."
U.S. Attorney and Federal Court make it a DOJ case and not a state case.