John Brennan sues Trump officials to preserve records

Former CIA Director John Brennan sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, seeking a federal court order to compel the preservation of all records related to ongoing Justice Department investigations targeting him. The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., argues the probes are politically motivated and that preserving internal communications is essential for Brennan to mount a future defense against any potential indictment.

The legal action names President Donald Trump, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida as defendants. Brennan’s legal team contends that over 100 critical statements made by Trump about Brennan since 2017, combined with what they describe as directives to pursue cases without proper legal justification, establish a pattern of vindictive intent. They assert any future charges would be challenged as unconstitutional selective prosecution, a defense requiring a full record of the investigations' origins.

Brennan is the subject of two separate federal investigations. One examines whether he made false statements to Congress in 2023 regarding...