Brennan Answers Question Regarding Investigation
Former CIA Director John Brennan claimed on MSNBC Wednesday that he has “no idea” why federal authorities are investigating him, despite mounting evidence and a criminal probe tied to the Steele dossier’s role in the FBI’s 2016 investigation of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
Brennan, along with former FBI Director James Comey, is reportedly under criminal investigation over potential misconduct related to the controversial dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele. That dossier, now widely discredited, formed a key basis for the FBI’s FISA warrants targeting Trump campaign associate Carter Page.
Appearing on Deadline: White House, Brennan told MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace that he has not been contacted by investigators, insisting he acted within legal and ethical bounds. “I’ve had no contact from them,” he said. “I testified in front of many congressional committees… I continue to explain exactly what we did during this process.”
🚨NEW — John Brennan says he’s “clueless” about what he’s being investigated for.
“The people who actually work this…the ones who put together the intelligence community assessment…showed the best of what the intelligence community and what CIA is made of!”
“I am clueless… pic.twitter.com/wuKqiQYqFy
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 9, 2025
Brennan maintained that the intelligence community’s objective was to protect electoral integrity, not interfere with the 2016 election. However, internal reviews and newly declassified records suggest otherwise.
A declassified report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, released by current CIA Director John Ratcliffe, identified “procedural anomalies” in the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) — anomalies that allegedly allowed Brennan and others to circumvent established analytic standards.
Contrary to Brennan’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee in 2023 — in which he denied pushing the Steele dossier for inclusion in the ICA — Ratcliffe’s declassified documents show that Brennan had in fact advocated for its incorporation.
These revelations raise concerns about potential false statements to Congress, which could constitute a criminal offense. The investigation is being handled by FBI Director Christopher Wray and Special Investigator Kash Patel, who were referred evidence by Ratcliffe following the ICA review.
In parallel developments, former FBI Director James Comey also faces scrutiny for misleading testimony. In 2018, Comey told lawmakers that the dossier was unverified when used to obtain surveillance warrants, and later admitted in 2020 that he was unaware of credibility issues tied to Igor Danchenko, Steele’s primary source.