DOJ intensifies investigation into former CIA chief John Brennan amid new scrutiny
WASHINGTON, DC: The US Justice Department has stepped up its investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, seeking classified records from the House Intelligence Committee, according to sources familiar with the development.
The committee voted on Tuesday night to transfer several classified hearing transcripts to the Justice Department following a formal request, signaling a deepening federal probe.
House panel backs transfer of classified material
A Republican spokesperson for the panel said the move was tied to an ongoing Justice Department investigation connected to a 2017 report authored by GOP members of the committee, which was declassified last year.
The spokesperson added that the committee hopes the step would “advance the accountability process that many Americans are desperate to see unfold,” while also referencing broader claims around alleged Trump-Russia collusion.
Brennan identified as grand jury target
The investigation appears to be moving toward potential criminal proceedings. Lawyers for Brennan revealed in December that prosecutors had informed them he is a target of a grand jury probe.
The inquiry is being led by the office of US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones and is focused on the 2017 intelligence community assessment examining Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Brennan, who led the CIA from 2013 to 2017, has strongly contested the probe. In a letter to Chief US District Judge Cecilia Altonaga, his attorney questioned the legal basis of the investigation, calling it “mystifying.”
Political pressure and prior referral
The case has drawn political attention, with Rep Jim Jordan, a close ally of Donald Trump, previously referring Brennan to the Justice Department for prosecution.
Jordan alleged that Brennan provided false testimony in 2023 related to the long-running investigation into Russian election interference. Brennan’s legal team has denied those claims.
The probe comes amid a mixed track record for similar cases pursued during Trump’s second term. Earlier this year, a federal grand jury declined to indict six sitting members of Congress over a social media video urging military personnel not to follow unlawful orders.
