In a dramatic twist to the long-running Trump–Russia saga, former CIA Director John Brennan and ex-FBI Director James Comey are now under criminal investigation for alleged misconduct linked to the 2016 election probe. Justice Department sources confirm the inquiries include possible false statements to Congress and misuse of unverified intelligence, including the infamous Steele Dossier. With whispers of a potential conspiracy and growing scrutiny over political interference, the case has stirred deep attention across Washington. The unfolding drama now raises serious questions about trust, truth, and the cost of political power games.

📌 STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• DOJ sources confirm criminal investigations into Brennan and Comey

• Brennan allegedly supported inclusion of Steele Dossier in 2017 Russia report

• Officials flagged potential false statements made before Congress

• Internal review cited political bias and breach of intelligence standards

• Comey also under investigation, though specifics remain classified

• FBI insiders describe case as potential “conspiracy”

• Declassified documents reveal Clinton campaign’s role in dossier origins

• White House urges accountability for Obama-era intelligence officials

In what appears to be a renewed legal reckoning tied to the Trump–Russia investigation, former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey are now reportedly subjects of active criminal investigations. According to sources from the Department of Justice (DOJ), the probes are focused on potential misconduct, including allegations that both officials may have made false statements to Congress.

These developments come after CIA Director John Ratcliffe officially referred evidence of Brennan’s potential wrongdoing to the FBI for further action. The investigation that followed, DOJ insiders say, is still in its early stages. However, they did confirm that a formal inquiry into Brennan has been opened and is ongoing.

While details remain sparse and tightly controlled, officials familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that the criminal referral specifically involves Brennan’s role in the preparation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), particularly his push to include the now-discredited Steele Dossier. This dossier was originally funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee and has long been criticized for lacking credible verification.

The DOJ has not released additional specifics regarding the charges or scope of the investigation, but two sources familiar with internal FBI discussions suggested that the agency may view Brennan and Comey’s actions through the lens of a broader “conspiracy,” potentially opening a wide range of prosecutorial options.

Neither Brennan nor Comey has issued a public response. The FBI and CIA have also declined to comment.

The allegations against Brennan appear to stem largely from a recent declassification by the CIA of an internal “lessons learned” review. The review examined the formation of the ICA, which assessed that Russia had interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election with the goal of aiding then-candidate Donald Trump. According to that review, the process of compiling the ICA suffered from serious “procedural anomalies” and saw a departure from standard intelligence protocols.

More significantly, the review stated that senior agency officials — particularly Brennan — pushed for the inclusion of the Steele Dossier, despite objections from within the agency. The dossier, which was filled with unverified and often discredited allegations about Trump and his campaign, had long been criticized even within intelligence circles.

The internal CIA review stated:

“Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness. When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier… he appeared more swayed by its general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns.”

The dossier, compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, had been funded through law firm Perkins Coie, acting on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Its controversial contents served as part of the justification for multiple Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.

Notably, although the main ICA delivered to President Obama did not directly feature Steele’s claims, they were mentioned in a footnote, often referred to as “Annex A.” This footnote, declassified by Ratcliffe in 2020, noted that Steele’s reporting had only “limited corroboration” and that his information was collected on behalf of private clients — not the FBI.

“We have only limited corroboration of the source’s reporting in this case and did not use it to reach the analytic conclusions,” the footnote stated.

Further complicating matters is Brennan’s own testimony to the House Judiciary Committee in May 2023. In that session, he insisted:

“The CIA was very much opposed to having any reference or inclusion of the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment.”

However, this contradicts the newly declassified internal communications and written approval attributed to Brennan himself.

According to DOJ sources, the investigation is now probing whether this contradiction amounts to knowingly making false statements before Congress.

As for James Comey, details regarding his part in the investigation remain less clear. DOJ sources only confirmed that an investigation is active but declined to elaborate. However, insiders indicate that both Comey and Brennan were present at key meetings where decisions about the Russia assessment and the Steele Dossier were made.

Comey, along with then-Vice President Joe Biden, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, attended a critical briefing on July 28, 2016. During that meeting, Brennan reportedly informed President Obama of intelligence suggesting Hillary Clinton’s campaign had approved a plan to link Donald Trump to Russian operatives — an effort allegedly designed to distract from her own email controversy.

Declassified handwritten notes from Brennan and a CIA Counterintelligence Operational Lead (CIOL) memo back up this timeline. The memo was then forwarded to Comey and FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok under the subject line “Crossfire Hurricane” — the codename for the FBI’s Russia probe.

The “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation officially launched days later, on July 31, 2016. It would later be taken over by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller’s eventual report, released in March 2019, concluded there was no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

Following Mueller’s findings, Special Counsel John Durham was appointed to investigate the origins of the FBI’s Russia probe. In his final report, Durham concluded that the FBI had failed to adequately examine the political origins of the Steele Dossier and Clinton-linked intelligence.

Durham wrote:

“Had the FBI opened the Crossfire Hurricane investigation as an assessment… the information received would have been examined, at a minimum, with a more critical eye.”

He added:

“The FBI failed to act on what should have been — when combined with other incontrovertible facts — a clear warning sign that the bureau might then be the target of an effort to manipulate or influence the law enforcement process.”

In light of these revelations, calls for accountability have grown louder. In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized:

“President Trump was right — again. 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.”

While no formal charges have yet been filed, the investigations into Brennan and Comey suggest that the fallout from the 2016 election and the controversial Russia probe continues to reverberate across the political and legal landscape — nearly a decade later.

As criminal investigations into John Brennan and James Comey unfold, the spotlight now shifts from political narratives to legal accountability. With mounting evidence, conflicting testimonies, and questions surrounding the Steele Dossier’s role in the 2016 intelligence assessment, the case marks a turning point in the post-election aftermath. Whether the inquiries lead to formal charges or broader institutional reforms, one thing remains clear — the guardians of national intelligence are now under the same scrutiny they once imposed, and the search for truth in America’s most controversial investigation continues.