Breaking: House Judiciary Committee Refers Former CIA Director John Brennan for Criminal Prosecution

The House Judiciary Committee has formally referred former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution, citing evidence that he knowingly lied under oath during testimony about the CIA’s involvement in the infamous Steele dossier and the Trump–Russia hoax.

In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) detailed “significant evidence” showing that Brennan “knowingly made false statements during his transcribed interview before the Committee on the Judiciary on May 11, 2023.”

“Brennan made numerous willfully and intentionally false statements of material fact contradicted by the record established by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and the CIA,” Jordan wrote.

“Making false statements before Congress is a crime that undermines the integrity of the Committee’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight.”

The referral centers on Brennan’s repeated denials regarding the CIA’s role in handling or assessing the Steele dossier—a now-debunked opposition research document that falsely claimed then-candidate Donald J. Trump colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Jordan’s letter emphasizes that Brennan’s false claims obstructed congressional oversight and misled the public about the origins of the “Russiagate” narrative, which subsequent investigations revealed to be a politically motivated smear funded by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

“The Steele dossier was a series of reports containing baseless accusations concerning President Trump’s ties to Russia compiled and delivered to the FBI in 2016 by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele,” Jordan explained.

“Subsequent investigations confirmed that the Clinton campaign and the DNC paid Steele via the law firm Perkins Coie and opposition research firm Fusion GPS to provide derogatory information about Trump’s purported ties to Russia, which resulted in the discredited dossier.”

Despite those findings, Brennan testified that “the CIA was not involved at all with the [Steele] dossier.” Jordan’s letter calls that statement a blatant lie, contradicted by intelligence records reviewed by both the House Intelligence Committee and internal CIA documentation.

The referral also notes that Brennan previously told lawmakers in 2017 that the dossier “was not in any way used as a basis for the Intelligence Community assessment that was done.” Jordan argues that these earlier statements, though beyond the statute of limitations, reveal a consistent pattern of deceit intended to shield the intelligence community’s role in the anti-Trump operation.

“In sum, Brennan’s testimony before the Committee on May 11, 2023, was a brazen attempt to knowingly and willfully testify falsely and fictitiously to material facts,” Jordan wrote. “We therefore make this referral for the Department to examine whether any of Brennan’s testimony warrants a charge for the violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001.”

If the Department of Justice acts on the referral, Brennan could face criminal indictment for lying to Congress — a felony offense that carries potential prison time.

The move marks a significant escalation in the GOP’s long-running effort to hold former Obama-era intelligence officials accountable for their roles in the Russia collusion hoax that targeted President Trump and his campaign.

As of this week, the Bondi-led DOJ has not indicated whether it will open a formal criminal investigation.