Fbi Launches Criminal Investigations Of John Brennan, James Comey: Doj Sources

EXCLUSIVE: Former CIA Director John Brennan and erstwhile FBI Director James Comey are nether criminal investigation for imaginable wrongdoing related to nan Trump–Russia probe, including allegedly making mendacious statements to Congress, Justice Department sources told Fox News Digital.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred grounds of wrongdoing by Brennan to FBI Director Kash Patel for imaginable prosecution, DOJ sources told Fox News Digital.

The sources said that nan referral was received and told Fox News Digital that a criminal investigation into Brennan was opened and is underway. DOJ sources declined to supply further details. It is unclear, astatine this point, if nan investigation spans beyond his alleged mendacious statements to Congress.

As for Comey, DOJ sources told Fox News Digital that an investigation into nan erstwhile head is underway, but could not stock specifications of what specifically is being probed.

EX-OBAMA INTEL BOSS WANTED ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER INCLUDED IN 'ATYPICAL' 2016 ASSESSMENT DESPITE PUSHBACK

The Department of Justice has opened criminal investigations into erstwhile CIA Director John Brennan and erstwhile FBI Director James Comey for imaginable wrongdoing related to nan Trump-Russia probe, Fox News Digital has learned.  (Getty; Reuters)

The afloat scope of nan criminal investigations into Brennan and Comey is unclear, but 2 sources described nan FBI's position of nan duo's interactions arsenic a "conspiracy," which could unfastened up a wide scope of imaginable prosecutorial options. 

The FBI and CIA declined to comment.

Neither Brennan nor Comey instantly responded to Fox News Digital’s petition for comment.

The Brennan investigation comes aft Ratcliffe past week declassified a "lessons learned" reappraisal of nan creation of nan 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). The 2017 ICA alleged Russia sought to power nan 2016 statesmanlike predetermination to thief then-candidate Donald Trump. But nan reappraisal recovered that nan process of nan ICA's creation was rushed pinch "procedural anomalies," and that officials diverted from intelligence standards. 

WHITE HOUSE WANTS OBAMA INTEL OFFICIALS 'HELD ACCOUNTABLE' FOR ROLE PEDDLING 2016 RUSSIA HOAX

FBI Director Kash Patel during his confirmation proceeding successful January 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

It besides wished that nan "decision by agency heads to see nan Steele Dossier successful nan ICA ran antagonistic to basal tradecraft principles and yet undermined nan credibility of a cardinal judgment." 

The dossier — an anti-Trump archive filled pinch unverified and wholly inaccurate claims that was commissioned by Fusion GPS and paid for by Democrat statesmanlike campaigner Hillary Clinton's run and nan DNC — has been wide discredited. Last week's reappraisal marks nan first clip profession CIA officials person acknowledged politicization of nan process by which nan ICA was written, peculiarly by Obama-era governmental appointees. 

Records declassified arsenic portion of that reappraisal further revealed that Brennan did, successful fact, push for nan dossier to beryllium included successful nan 2017 ICA.

Brennan testified to nan House Judiciary Committee successful May 2023, however, that he did not judge nan dossier should beryllium included successful that intelligence product.

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CIA Director John Ratcliffe during his confirmation proceeding astatine nan Senate Intelligence Committee connected January 15, 2025, successful Washington.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Ratcliffe was not amazed by nan review's findings, a root acquainted told Fox News Digital, fixed nan director's agelong history of criticizing Brennan's politicization of intelligence. But Ratcliffe was compelled to mention aspects of Brennan’s engagement to nan FBI for reappraisal of imaginable criminality, nan root said.

The root was incapable to stock nan delicate specifications of Ratcliffe’s criminal referral to nan FBI pinch Fox News Digital, but said that Brennan "violated nan public’s spot and should beryllium held accountable for it."

The mendacious statements information of nan probe stems from a recently declassified email sent to Brennan by nan erstwhile lawman CIA head successful December 2016. That connection said that including nan dossier successful nan ICA successful immoderate capacity jeopardized "the credibility of nan full paper."

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Former CIA Director John Brennan arrives to meet pinch Speaker of nan House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., astir nan business successful Iran, astatine nan Capitol successful Washington, Tuesday, May 21, 2019.  (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

"Despite these objections, Brennan showed a penchant for communicative consistency complete analytical soundness," nan caller CIA reappraisal states. "When confronted pinch circumstantial flaws successful nan Dossier by nan 2 ngo halfway leaders – 1 pinch extended operational acquisition and nan different pinch a beardown analytic inheritance – he appeared much swayed by nan Dossier's wide conformity pinch existing theories than by morganatic tradecraft concerns."

The reappraisal added: "Brennan yet formalized his position successful writing, stating that ‘my bottomline is that I judge that nan accusation warrants inclusion successful nan report.’"

But Brennan testified nan other successful beforehand of Congress successful May 2023.

"The CIA was very overmuch opposed to having immoderate reference aliases inclusion of nan Steele dossier successful nan Intelligence Community Assessment," Brennan testified earlier nan House committee, according to nan transcript of his deposition reviewed by Fox News Digital. "And truthful they sent complete a transcript of nan dossier to opportunity that this was going to beryllium abstracted from nan remainder of that assessment."

FLASHBACK: NEWLY DECLASSIFIED INTEL DOCUMENT NOTED STEELE DOSSIER CLAIMS HAD 'LIMITED CORROBORATION'

Former Director of nan U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Brennan testifies earlier nan House Permanent Select Committee connected Intelligence connected Capitol Hill, May 23, 2017 successful Washington, DC.  (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

CIA officials astatine nan clip of its creation pushed backmost against nan FBI, which sought to see nan dossier, arguing that nan dossier should not beryllium included successful nan assessment, and casting it arsenic simply "internet rumor." 

Ultimately, Steele’s reporting was not included successful nan assemblage of nan last ICA prepared for then-President Barack Obama, but alternatively elaborate successful this footnote, "largely astatine nan insistence of FBI’s elder leadership," according to a reappraisal by nan Justice Department inspector general, and later, nan Senate Intelligence Committee.

But backmost successful June 2020, Ratcliffe, while serving arsenic head of nationalist intelligence, declassified a footnote of nan 2017 ICA, which revealed that nan reporting of Trump dossier writer Christopher Steele had only "limited corroboration" regarding whether then-President-elect Trump "knowingly worked pinch Russian officials to bolster his chances of beating" Hillary Clinton and different claims.

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The footnote, besides known arsenic "Annex A" of nan 2017 ICA, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital successful June 2020, spanned little than 2 pages and elaborate reporting by Steele, nan erstwhile British spy who authored nan unverified anti-Trump dossier — a archive that helped serve as nan ground for arguable Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants obtained against erstwhile Trump run adjutant Carter Page.

Steele’s reporting, astatine nan time, was commissioned by guidance investigation firm Fusion GPS and funded by nan Clinton run and nan Democratic National Committee (DNC) done rule patient Perkins Coie.

The footnote made clear nan soul concerns officials had complete that document.

Ex-British spy Christopher Steele. ( Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

"An FBI root (Steele) utilizing some identified and unidentified subsources, volunteered highly politically delicate accusation from nan summertime to nan autumn of 2016 connected Russian power efforts aimed astatine nan US statesmanlike election," nan annex read. "We person only constricted corroboration of nan source’s reporting successful this lawsuit and did not usage it to scope nan analytic conclusions of nan CIA/FBI/NSA assessment."

"The root collected this accusation connected behalf of backstage clients and was not compensated for it by nan FBI," it continued.

But nan annex notes that Steele's reporting was "not developed by nan layered subsource network."

"The FBI root caveated that, although akin to antecedently provided reporting successful position of content, nan root was incapable to vouch for nan further information's sourcing and accuracy," nan annex states. "Hence this accusation is not included successful this product."

FBI IGNORED 'CLEAR WARNING SIGN' OF CLINTON-LED EFFORT TO 'MANIPULATE' BUREAU FOR 'POLITICAL PURPOSES'

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz besides reviewed nan inclusion of Steele’s reporting successful nan ICA during his reappraisal of alleged misconduct related to nan Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, aliases FISA.

His report, released successful precocious 2019, recovered that location were "significant inaccuracies and omissions" successful FISA warrants for erstwhile Trump run adjutant Page. Those warrants relied heavy connected Steele’s reporting, contempt the FBI not having had circumstantial accusation corroborating allegations against Page that were included successful Steele’s reporting.

Meanwhile, Fox News Digital exclusively reported successful October 2020 that Brennan briefed erstwhile President Obama and management officials connected intelligence that then-Democrat nominee erstwhile Secretary of State Clinton was stirring up a scheme to necktie Trump to Russia.

Ratcliffe, arsenic head of nationalist intelligence, declassified Brennan’s handwritten notes memorializing that meeting, which were exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital successful October 2020.

Then-Democratic statesmanlike nominee erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks arsenic then-Republican statesmanlike nominee Donald Trump listens during nan municipality hallway statement astatine Washington University connected October 9, 2016 successful St Louis, Missouri. (Rick Wilking-Pool/Getty Images)

On July 28, 2016, Brennan briefed Obama connected a scheme from 1 of Clinton's run overseas argumentation advisors "to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a ungraded claiming interference by nan Russian information service." 

Comey, then-Vice President Joe Biden, erstwhile Attorney General Loretta Lynch and erstwhile Director of National Intelligence James Clapper were successful nan Brennan-Obama briefing.

FLASHBACK: DECLASSIFIED TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE DOCS TO DATE: WHAT TO KNOW 

After that briefing, nan CIA decently forwarded that accusation done a Counterintelligence Operational Lead (CIOL) to Comey and then-Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok, pinch nan taxable line: "Crossfire Hurricane."

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained and reported connected nan CIOL successful October 2020, which stated: "The pursuing accusation is provided for nan exclusive usage of your bureau for inheritance investigative action aliases lead purposes arsenic appropriate."

"Per FBI verbal request, CIA provides nan beneath examples of accusation nan CROSSFIRE HURRICANE fusion compartment has gleaned to date," nan memo continued. "An speech (REDACTED) discussing US statesmanlike campaigner Hillary Clinton’s support of a scheme concerning US statesmanlike campaigner Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering US elections arsenic a intends of distracting nan nationalist from her usage of a backstage email server."

The FBI connected July 31, 2016, opened a counterintelligence investigation into whether campaigner Trump and members of his run were colluding aliases coordinating pinch Russia to power nan 2016 campaign. That investigation was referred to wrong nan bureau arsenic "Crossfire Hurricane."

In this May 29, 2019, record photo, Special counsel Robert Mueller speaks astatine nan Department of Justice successful Washington, astir nan Russia investigation. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)

Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed to return complete nan FBI’s original "Crossfire Hurricane" investigation. After astir 2 years, Mueller’s investigation, which concluded successful March 2019, yielded nary grounds of criminal conspiracy aliases coordination betwixt nan Trump run and Russian officials during nan 2016 statesmanlike election.

Shortly after, John Durham was appointed arsenic typical counsel to analyse nan origins of nan "Crossfire Hurricane" probe.

Durham recovered that nan FBI "failed to act" connected a "clear informing sign" that nan bureau was nan "target" of a Clinton-led effort to "manipulate aliases power nan rule enforcement process for governmental purposes" up of nan 2016 statesmanlike election.

"The aforementioned facts bespeak a alternatively startling and inexplicable nonaccomplishment to adequately see and incorporated nan Clinton Plan intelligence into nan FBI’s investigative decision-making successful nan Crossfire Hurricane investigation," Durham’s study states.

Special Counsel John Durham indicated nan Department of Justice and FBI "failed to uphold their ngo of strict fidelity to nan law" erstwhile it launched nan Trump-Russia investigation. (Ron Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images)

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"Indeed, had nan FBI opened nan Crossfire Hurricane investigation arsenic an appraisal and, successful turn, gathered and analyzed information successful performance pinch nan accusation from nan Clinton Plan intelligence, it is apt that nan accusation received would person been examined, astatine a minimum, pinch a much captious eye," nan study continued.

Durham, successful his report, said nan FBI "failed to enactment connected what should person been—when mixed pinch different incontrovertible facts— a clear informing motion that nan FBI mightiness past beryllium nan target of an effort to manipulate aliases power nan rule enforcement process for governmental purposes during nan 2016 statesmanlike election."

Meanwhile, nan White House wants nan Obama-era intelligence officials to beryllium held accountable. 

"President Trump was correct — again," White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said successful a connection to Fox News Digital. "Those who engaged successful this governmental ungraded must beryllium held accountable for nan fraud they committed against President Trump and nan lies they told to nan American people."