John Brennan, ex-FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page subpoenaed in federal Russia probe

TALLAHASSEE,FLORIDA: A federal grand jury has issued subpoenas to several high-profile former intelligence and law enforcement officials as part of an investigation into the origins of the 2016 Russia probe.

Among those subpoenaed are former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. The grand jury in the Southern District of Florida issued the subpoenas on Friday, November 7.

According to Fox News Digital, law enforcement sources said as many as 30 additional subpoenas may be issued in the coming days in connection with the ongoing investigation. The probe is being overseen by Jason Reding Quiñones, the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

John Brennan, Peter Strzok, and Lisa Page subpoenaed in Russia probe

Peter Strzok was the FBI agent who, in July 2016, opened the bureau’s initial investigation into Russia’s interference in the US election, known internally as “Crossfire Hurricane.” Both Strzok and Lisa Page served on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team in 2017. Page served briefly before returning to the FBI’s Office of General Counsel in July 2017. 

Strzok was later removed from the special counsel’s team and transferred to the FBI’s Human Resources Division. Before joining the special counsel’s office, he had been a senior agent in the bureau’s counterintelligence division. Page resigned in May 2018, and Strzok was fired in August 2018 after the release of anti-Trump text messages between the two sparked controversy.

John Brennan under Justice Department criminal investigation

A Justice Department criminal investigation into Brennan was reportedly opened earlier this year based on a referral from then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe.

It was first reported by Fox News Digital in July that former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey were under investigation. The allegation suggested Brennan may have provided false testimony to Congress or violated intelligence protocols during the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA).

Declassified review cites Steele dossier inclusion

The ICA concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump. A declassified review later found “procedural anomalies,” delays, and the controversial decision to include the Steele dossier in the ICA’s annotation despite internal objections. Brennan reportedly pushed for the dossier’s inclusion, although he testified before a House committee in May 2023 that the CIA had opposed it.

Justice Department seeks impartiality in probe

Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said the current effort is part of a broader push by the Justice Department to “restore impartial justice.”

The investigation into Brennan is linked to the declassified review of the ICA, which found that incorporating the Steele dossier “ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment.”