DOJ Subpoenas John Brennan and Intelligence Officials Over Russia Probe

The United States Department of Justice has launched a federal grand jury investigation into the origins of the 2016 Trump-Russia collusion probe, issuing approximately 30 subpoenas to former Obama-era officials. The inquiry focuses on the alleged weaponization of intelligence and the inclusion of the Steele dossier in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). Among those subpoenaed for digital and paper records are John Brennan, former CIA Director, and James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence, as well as former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.

The probe is supervised by U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones in the Southern District of Florida, with a grand jury scheduled to convene on January 12, 2026. This legal action follows a criminal referral from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who alleged Brennan willfully made false statements to Congress in 2023 by denying the CIA's use of the dossier. The investigation also aligns with an executive order from President Donald Trump to review Intelligence Community activities.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard supported the probe by declassifying documents she characterized as manufactured intelligence used to undermine the Trump administration. Other administration officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, have similarly worked to discredit the original Russia investigation, citing tradecraft anomalies in the 2017 assessment.