Judge dismisses Brennan’s bid to preserve DOJ records

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed former CIA Director John Brennan’s lawsuit seeking to require the Justice Department to preserve records for a possible defense against future criminal charges, ruling that he had not shown a concrete injury that would give him standing to sue. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb said Brennan had not demonstrated that the department was failing to retain records that could be relevant to a defense. His concern that records might not be preserved, based in part on allegations about other cases, was too speculative to justify a court order, the ruling said. Brennan filed the lawsuit in July, seeking an order requiring officials to preserve communications and investigative materials. He said the records could help him challenge any prosecution as vindictive or selective. His lawyers argued that the request was necessary because of what they described as the department’s handling of records and its pursuit of Brennan. The dismissal resolves only whether Brennan could obtain the preservation order through this lawsuit. It does not determine whether prosecutors will charge him or whether his allegations of political retaliation are true. Brennan has...