Federal investigators have begun questioning current and former CIA employees as part of an ongoing Justice Department probe examining former CIA Director John Brennan’s role in the 2017 intelligence assessment concerning Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The FBI has launched interviews with current and former CIA officers connected to the 2017 intelligence assessment on Russian election interference as federal prosecutors continue investigating former John Brennan, according to reporting from Reuters.
Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that FBI agents from the Miami field office conducted interviews last week at CIA headquarters in McLean, Virginia. Additional interviews are expected in the coming weeks as investigators continue gathering information related to Brennan’s handling of the intelligence assessment produced during the final weeks of the Obama administration.
The investigation is being directed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and reportedly centers on whether Brennan made false statements to Congress during testimony provided in 2023 concerning the intelligence community’s conclusions about Russia’s activities during the 2016 election.
The original intelligence assessment concluded that Russia engaged in cyber and influence operations intended to damage Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and benefit Donald Trump. Those conclusions were later supported by reviews conducted by the Department of Justice, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and internal CIA examinations.
Trump, however, has consistently rejected the Russia investigation as a “hoax” and has repeatedly called for scrutiny of officials involved in launching and promoting the probe.
According to Reuters, investigators have questioned approximately a dozen current and former CIA personnel connected to the preparation of the 2017 report. Agents are reportedly asking witnesses about Brennan’s role in shaping the assessment and whether the conclusions were influenced by the Steele dossier.
The Steele dossier was compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele and contained unverified allegations regarding Trump’s alleged ties to Russia. The dossier was funded by Trump’s political opponents during the 2016 campaign and became one of the most controversial elements of the broader Russiagate investigation.
Although portions of the dossier were attached to a classified appendix accompanying the intelligence assessment, Brennan has previously stated that CIA officials opposed incorporating the material into the report itself and that its inclusion represented a compromise with the FBI.
Neither the CIA nor the Department of Justice publicly commented on the investigation. Brennan’s attorney also declined public comment but reportedly stated that prosecutors informed Brennan he is considered a target of the investigation. The attorney further accused prosecutors of attempting to direct the case toward a Trump-appointed judge in Florida through “judge shopping.”
Sources cited by Reuters indicated that any criminal charges would likely be filed in Washington, D.C., where Brennan testified before Congress.
The investigation intensified after Jim Jordan referred Brennan to the Justice Department last October, alleging he provided misleading statements concerning the CIA’s involvement with the Steele dossier.
Attorney General Todd Blanche reportedly supervised aspects of the investigation while Pam Bondi headed the office earlier this year. Trump later dismissed Bondi in April amid dissatisfaction over the pace and direction of several investigations.
The Justice Department also replaced a veteran Miami prosecutor overseeing the matter with former federal prosecutor Joe DiGenova, who has publicly criticized Brennan and the origins of the Russiagate investigation.
According to Reuters, prosecutors had previously issued subpoenas for grand jury testimony in Washington before withdrawing them shortly afterward in mid-April.
The leadership change and renewed investigative activity have reportedly caused concern among current and former intelligence officials, some of whom fear broader scrutiny of personnel involved in earlier investigations connected to Trump and Russia.
Comments