Former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey are under criminal investigation by the Justice Department for their roles in the Trump–Russia probe, including allegations of false statements to Congress and broader conspiracy concerns, according to DOJ sources.
The investigation into Brennan was triggered by a criminal referral from former CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who forwarded evidence of misconduct to FBI Director Kash Patel. DOJ sources confirmed an active probe is underway. Comey is also being investigated, though details remain limited. Two officials described the situation as a “conspiracy,” suggesting potential criminal liability extending beyond perjury.
The inquiry follows Ratcliffe’s declassification of a CIA review that found the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) was rushed and politicized, with agency heads—particularly Brennan—pushing to include the discredited Steele dossier. That dossier, funded by the Clinton campaign and DNC, was used in part to obtain FISA warrants targeting Trump aide Carter Page, despite containing unverified claims.
Internal documents reveal Brennan insisted on including the dossier in the ICA, despite objections from top analysts and a warning from his deputy that doing so would compromise the report’s credibility. Brennan later told Congress the CIA opposed including the dossier, contradicting his own written statement.
Though the dossier was ultimately placed in a footnote at the urging of FBI officials, DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz later concluded the FISA warrants relied on “significant inaccuracies and omissions,” and the dossier’s claims were never substantiated.
Declassified notes also show Brennan briefed President Obama in July 2016 on intelligence that Hillary Clinton had approved a plan to link Trump to Russian interference to distract from her email scandal. That intelligence, forwarded to the FBI, was not properly weighed during the launch of the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia. A subsequent probe by Special Counsel John Durham found the FBI ignored signs it was being manipulated and failed to properly vet the Clinton Plan intelligence.
