Rep. Jim Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, has referred former CIA Director John Brennan to the Department of Justice for possible criminal prosecution. The referral is linked to accusations that Brennan made false statements about the Russian Steele dossier.
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Jordan claims that Brennan “intentionally made false statements” during his testimony before the committee on May 11, 2023. He notes that Brennan denied that the CIA relied on the Steele dossier in its intelligence assessment following the 2016 election, and that he also misrepresented the CIA’s position regarding the dossier’s inclusion in the assessment.
The communication underscores “significant evidence” that Brennan knowingly made several false statements that contradict findings by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the CIA, as detailed in his May testimony.
Jordan’s letter reads, according to the law, a witness can be charged if they make “a materially false statement or representation” when testifying. He emphasizes the importance of truthful testimony for Congress to carry out its oversight responsibilities effectively.
Jordan points out that while Brennan denied the CIA’s reliance on the Steele dossier, a declassified assessment by the FBI, CIA, and NSA from January 6, 2017, highlighted Russian interference in the 2016 election, suggesting that Russia aimed to benefit Donald Trump.
Further, the letter claims that this conclusion was partly based on the Steele dossier, which was referenced in the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). It criticizes Brennan for his assertion that the dossier “has not been used in any way as the basis for an assessment” during remarks made before the House committee in May 2017.
Additionally, reports from July suggested that Brennan might face perjury charges following the CIA’s release of an internal review regarding Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election outcome between Trump and Hillary Clinton.
