Former CIA Director John Brennan filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the Justice Department and senior Trump administration officials, asking a court to order the preservation of records tied to ongoing federal investigations involving him.
The filing in Washington, D.C., seeks an order directed at Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the U.S. Department of Justice, the White House, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Central Intelligence Agency to preserve communications and materials Brennan argues could be relevant to his legal challenges to any potential future criminal charges.
Brennan’s legal team argues that any eventual indictment would be challenged as “vindictive” and “selective prosecution,” and says losing access to internal communications could undermine his ability to contest investigative decisions in court. The complaint says preserving contemporaneous records is necessary to evaluate the intent behind prosecutorial actions.
The filing references individuals connected to the broader investigation, including U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones in the Southern District of Florida and Joseph DiGenova, who has been involved in advisory work connected to one of the Justice Department’s criminal inquiries after a prior prosecutor was removed.
Other figures such as Kurt Olsen and former Justice Department official John Yoo are involved in or advising on aspects of the wider investigative effort, according to sources familiar with the matter. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, a Biden-appointed federal judge.
