The FBI has opened criminal investigations into former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey for their roles in the controversial Trump–Russia probe, according to multiple sources within the Department of Justice who spoke to Fox News Digital.
The investigations center on potential false statements to Congress and alleged misconduct during the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), which concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. election to benefit then-candidate Donald Trump.
DOJ sources confirmed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred evidence implicating Brennan to FBI Director Kash Patel for potential prosecution. The FBI subsequently opened a formal criminal investigation into Brennan, though specifics remain classified. The investigation reportedly includes allegations that Brennan made false statements during a 2023 House Judiciary Committee hearing, in which he claimed to have opposed the inclusion of the discredited Steele Dossier in the ICA. However, internal CIA communications and a newly declassified review suggest otherwise.
As for Comey, DOJ sources confirmed an active investigation but declined to elaborate on its scope. Two DOJ sources described the matter as potentially involving a “conspiracy,” which could widen the probe’s legal implications.
The CIA and FBI declined to comment. Brennan and Comey have not responded to requests for comment.
The Steele Dossier — a document compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele and paid for by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and the Democratic National Committee — has been widely discredited for its unverified claims. Despite internal warnings from senior CIA officials in December 2016 that including the dossier could undermine the credibility of the ICA, Brennan reportedly advocated for its inclusion. A declassified CIA review noted that Brennan prioritized “narrative consistency over analytical soundness,” contradicting his 2023 testimony.
“Brennan violated the public’s trust and should be held accountable,” a DOJ source told Fox News Digital.
Comey’s role remains less defined publicly, but his leadership during the FBI’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation — which probed potential links between Trump’s campaign and Russian actors — has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. Reports from Special Counsel John Durham and the DOJ Inspector General have detailed systemic failures and political bias in the conduct of the FBI during that period.
Durham’s final report, released last year, concluded that the FBI failed to act on intelligence indicating the bureau was being manipulated by a Clinton-led effort to tie Trump to Russian interference. That finding fueled calls for further investigation into Obama-era intelligence officials, many of whom participated in key decisions surrounding the ICA and the early Russia probe.
The White House responded sharply to the revelations. “President Trump was right — again,” said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Those who engaged in this political scandal must be held accountable for the fraud they committed against President Trump and the lies they told to the American people.”
The full implications of the investigations remain to be seen. If substantiated, charges could carry serious legal and political consequences for two of the most prominent intelligence officials of the Obama administration — and could reignite a yearslong national debate over the politicization of intelligence and law enforcement in the Trump era.
