The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday referred John Brennan, the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, to the U.S. Department of Justice for potential criminal prosecution, alleging he lied to Congress about the use of the Steele dossier in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
According to the referral letter from Chairman Jim?Jordan (R-Ohio), Brennan is accused of “willfully and intentionally” making materially false statements in his May 11, 2023, testimony, including claims that the CIA was not involved with the dossier and opposed its inclusion in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA).
The letter points to newly declassified documents indicating that the CIA, under Brennan’s direction, played a significant role in including the dossier’s content in the ICA — contradicting his testimony.
While such congressional referrals do not guarantee prosecution, the DOJ can now review the evidence and determine whether to bring charges under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, which prohibits knowingly false statements to Congress.
