Jordan Refers Brennan for Prosecution Over False Testimony

Rep. Jim Jordan, who leads the House Judiciary Committee, has sent a referral to the Justice Department regarding former President Barack Obama’s CIA director, John Brennan. He accuses Brennan of lying to Congress during a recorded interview conducted in 2023.

This allegation falls under 18 U.S.C. 1001, which is a felony carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison, along with potential fines.

In a letter addressed to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Jordan (R-Ohio) claims that Brennan “intentionally made false statements” in a transcribed interview from May 2023 about the CIA’s actions concerning the Steele dossier.

This issue is particularly notable because, in 2016, during Brennan’s leadership of the CIA, he influenced decisions on whether to include details from the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) regarding Russian interference.

“Making false statements to Congress is a crime that undermines the integrity of the commission’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight,” Jordan emphasized in his letter.

Brennan reportedly stated that the CIA opposed using the dubious Steele dossier in the 2016 ICA and claimed it wasn’t relied upon. However, contrary evidence suggests that CIA officials actually used the outline of the document to draft an annex, dismissing objections from senior officials within the agency.

According to Jordan, “Mr. Brennan, along with then-FBI Director James Comey, made the final decision to incorporate this information in the ICA documents.”

Comey himself was indicted in September for making false statements to Congress in 2020 regarding the agency’s inquiry into alleged ties between President Trump and Russia, claims that have since proven to be false. He has pleaded not guilty and is set to face trial starting January 5, 2026.