DOJ Rescinds Subpoenas in Brennan False Statements Probe

The U.S. Department of Justice has withdrawn grand jury subpoenas issued over the weekend to several former senior intelligence and FBI officials as part of its criminal investigation into allegations that former CIA Director John Brennan made false statements to Congress in 2023. The subpoenas, which would have required testimony in Washington, D.C., were rescinded on Monday in favor of requests for voluntary interviews, according to multiple officials familiar with the matter.

The probe centers on Brennan's May 2023 transcribed interview with the House Judiciary Committee, where he stated that the CIA had no involvement with the Steele dossier, a collection of unverified reports on alleged ties between Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia. The investigation examines whether those comments misrepresented the agency's role in preparing the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, which concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to aid Trump's candidacy. That assessment included references to the Steele dossier in its main text and a classified annex, despite internal objections from CIA officers who questioned its reliability.