Sources: FBI Revs Up Probe of Fmr CIA Chief Over Russia Report
April 16, 2026
The FBI plans to question roughly a half-dozen witnesses in its criminal inquiry into ex-CIA Director John Brennan over a U.S. intelligence assessment that found Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help President Donald Trump, said two people familiar with the investigation.
Federal investigators are intensifying a criminal inquiry into former CIA Director John Brennan concerning the 2017 intelligence assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Sources familiar with the matter have indicated the FBI is preparing to interview approximately half a dozen witnesses, including former intelligence officials who were involved in crafting the report. This development signals a significant escalation in a long-running effort by the Justice Department to re-examine the origins of the Trump-Russia inquiry, a matter that has been a focal point of political contention for years. The probe, which has been underway for months, is being managed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami.
The investigation appears to be centered on congressional testimony Brennan gave in 2023 regarding the creation of the intelligence assessment. The inquiry gained momentum following a referral to the Department of Justice in October by Representative Jim Jordan. The referral alleged that Brennan had made false statements to the House Judiciary Committee, particularly concerning the handling and inclusion of the so-called Steele dossier, a collection of unverified reports alleging ties between Trump and Russia. Brennan, who has become a vocal critic of the former president, was formally notified by prosecutors in December that he is a target of the investigation, according to his attorney.
The original 2017 intelligence community assessment concluded that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election with the aim of aiding Donald Trump's campaign. This conclusion was subsequently supported by a Justice Department review, a bipartisan Senate committee, and an internal CIA review. However, a separate CIA review released in 2025 noted "procedural anomalies" in the report's preparation, citing a "highly compressed timeline" and departures from standard drafting practices. Despite these criticisms of the process, the 2025 review did not dispute the quality or credibility of the underlying classified intelligence that formed the basis of the original assessment's conclusions.
Critics have voiced concerns that the renewed probe represents a politically motivated use of prosecutorial power to settle old scores and relitigate a defining issue of Trump's first term in office. Brennan himself has characterized the investigations into his conduct as biased and a misuse of the legal system. The move is seen by some as part of a broader campaign to challenge the legitimacy of the investigations that shadowed the Trump presidency. These earlier probes, including the one led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, found evidence of Russian interference but did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
As the FBI proceeds with its interviews, the next steps in this high-profile investigation remain uncertain. The identities of the individuals slated for questioning have not been publicly disclosed, though they are believed to be former intelligence officials. The probe has already involved a small number of witness interviews, according to sources. The ultimate direction of the investigation will likely depend on the testimony gathered in the coming weeks and could have lasting implications for the individuals involved and the broader political landscape, continuing a contentious chapter in American intelligence and politics.
Source: newsmax