The House Intelligence Committee voted behind closed doors on March 24 to send classified transcripts involving former CIA director John Brennan to the Justice Department, signaling that the Trump administration is pursuing a potential criminal case against him, Punchbowl News reports.
The documents will remain confidential.
Brennan under the scrutiny of the grand jury
Brennan, who led the CIA from 2013 to 2017, is reportedly the target of a grand jury investigation linked to a 2017 intelligence community assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
The assessment concluded that Moscow sought to sway the election in favor of then-candidate Donald Trump and undermine Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to have ordered an influence campaign aimed at undermining confidence in American democracy and damaging Clinton’s chances.
Trump’s long-term goal
Brennan has long been a target of Trump. He played a key role in launching a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign in 2016.
Trump stripped Brennan of his security clearance in 2018 and again in 2025, escalating tensions between the former intelligence official and the administration.
Department of Justice investigation
An earlier wave of subpoenas in November sought documents related to the preparation of an intelligence assessment of Russian meddling.
The issue has remained one of Trump’s main gripes, particularly allegations of potential collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia.
Brennan pushes back
Brennan’s legal team sharply criticized the investigation.
“While it is puzzling how prosecutors could believe there was any legally justifiable basis for conducting this investigation, they have done nothing to explain that mystery,” his attorney wrote in a letter to Chief U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga, according to NBC News.
Jordan’s recommendation and rejection
Republican lawmaker Jim Jordan, a key Trump ally and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, previously referred Brennan to the Justice Department for prosecution.
Jordan alleged that Brennan gave false testimony in 2023 regarding the Russia investigation.
Brennan’s lawyers denied the claims, according to NBC News.
