John Brennan, James Comey being investigated by FBI: DOJ sources
The latest bombshell in the ongoing Trump-Russia probe has revealed that former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey are now under criminal investigation for potential wrongdoing. This includes allegedly making false statements to Congress, according to sources within the Justice Department.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred evidence of Brennan’s potential criminal activity to FBI Director Kash Patel for further investigation and possible prosecution. The sources confirmed that a criminal investigation into Brennan is currently underway, although specific details were not provided. It remains unclear if the investigation extends beyond Brennan’s false statements to Congress.
Similarly, an investigation into Comey is also underway, although specific details of what is being probed have not been disclosed. The FBI’s view of the interactions between Brennan and Comey is described as a “conspiracy,” potentially opening up a wide range of prosecutorial options.
The Department of Justice has opened criminal investigations into both Brennan and Comey, following the declassification of a “lessons learned” review of the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). This assessment alleged that Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Donald Trump. The review found that the process of creating the ICA was rushed, with procedural anomalies and deviations from intelligence standards.
The review also revealed that including the Steele Dossier in the ICA went against fundamental tradecraft principles and undermined the credibility of key judgments. The dossier, commissioned by Fusion GPS and funded by the Clinton campaign and the DNC, has been widely discredited. Brennan was found to have pushed for the dossier to be included in the ICA, despite objections from CIA officials.
Ratcliffe’s referral to the FBI was not surprising, given his history of criticizing Brennan’s politicization of intelligence. The referral was made based on Brennan’s violation of the public’s trust and the need for accountability. The false statements portion of the probe stems from a newly declassified email that showed Brennan’s preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness in including the dossier in the ICA.
Brennan testified to Congress in 2023 that he did not believe the dossier should be included in the intelligence assessment, despite evidence to the contrary. CIA officials at the time pushed back against the FBI’s desire to include the dossier, arguing that it should not be part of the assessment. Ultimately, Steele’s reporting was not included in the body of the final ICA, but detailed in a footnote largely at the insistence of the FBI’s senior leadership.
The declassification of the 2017 ICA revealed that Steele’s reporting had limited corroboration and internal concerns over its accuracy. The FBI’s reliance on Steele’s reporting for FISA warrants against Carter Page was found to have significant inaccuracies and omissions by the Justice Department Inspector General in 2019.
Brennan’s briefing of former President Obama and administration officials on intelligence regarding the Trump-Russia probe was also reported in October 2020. The investigation into Brennan and Comey’s potential wrongdoing marks a significant development in the ongoing scrutiny of the Trump-Russia probe and the actions of key government officials involved.
