Brennan and Comey Facing Criminal Inquiry Related to Trump-Russia Investigation

Investigation Into Comey and Brennan Over Steele Documents

Former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan are reportedly under criminal investigation for possible misconduct related to the Steele documents, according to recent reports.

These documents, which surfaced in 2016, were integral to the FBI’s inquiry into alleged connections between President Donald Trump’s first campaign and Russia. Both Comey and Brennan have previously testified to lawmakers regarding this matter. Sources indicate that the FBI might view their official actions as part of a “conspiracy,” which could broaden the prosecution possibilities.

Details about the scope of the investigation remain vague. However, reports suggest that current CIA Director John Ratcliffe has communicated evidence of alleged misconduct by Brennan to FBI Director Kash Patel. This new information stems from Ratcliffe’s declassification of a review titled “Lessons Learned” concerning the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA).

The ICA was said to have influenced the 2016 presidential election in a way that favored Trump. Yet, the review highlighted that the editing process of the ICA exhibited a “procedural anomaly,” allowing civil servants to sidestep typical standards.

According to reports, Brennan made false statements to Congress in 2023, based on newly declassified emails from late 2016. These emails warned that including specific documents in the ICA could jeopardize “the credibility of the whole paper.”

Years later, Brennan testified before the House Judiciary Committee, claiming he had not approved the inclusion of those documents. However, new evidence indicates that he had, in fact, advocated for their inclusion in the ICA.

In addition to Brennan’s testimony, Comey has discussed his support for the content of the Steele documents with lawmakers over the years. During a 2018 session, he disclosed that the FBI had not vetted the controversial documents before using them to secure a FISA warrant for Carter Page, an advisor to Trump at the time. Comey also noted that both Republicans and Democrats had influential roles in this effort, which he described as politically motivated.

By 2020, during a hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee, Comey expressed surprise over the serious reliability issues concerning the documents. He mentioned that FBI staff had not informed him about concerns related to Igor Danchenko, the primary source for Christopher Steele, the document’s author.

Comey stated he couldn’t recall specific details regarding the Department of Justice’s concerns about political bias in October 2016, creating ambiguity around the CIA’s worries linked to the 2017 ICA.