The Trump administration has launched criminal investigations into two frequent targets of President Donald Trump: former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey.
Details regarding the nature of the investigations and the direction they may take remain unclear.
According to a statement from a Justice Department spokesperson, the investigations were confirmed in response to a Fox News article published on Tuesday evening.
While the spokesperson addressed the investigations, they emphasized that the Justice Department does not comment on ongoing inquiries.
James Comey’s lawyer declined to provide comments, whereas Brennan, currently a contributor for NBC News and MSNBC, stated he had not been contacted by either the Justice Department or the CIA concerning the investigations.
The FBI also opted not to comment on the matter.
This report emerged as FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi faced criticism from conservative media over their handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Recently, the Justice Department and the FBI issued a memo reiterating previous findings that Epstein, a convicted sex offender, committed suicide in 2019 and that there was no evidence implicating uncharged third parties.
Prior to joining the government, Patel was known to have engaged with conspiracy theories regarding Epstein.
Bondi’s statement regarding an Epstein ‘client list’ led to further speculation, although she later clarified that she was referencing documents related to Epstein rather than an actual list.
As for Brennan, sources familiar with the investigation indicated that CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a criminal referral concerning Brennan to the Justice Department.
The reasons behind the criminal inquiry into Comey remain less defined.
Last week, Ratcliffe disclosed an internal CIA review that criticized Brennan’s management of a 2017 intelligence assessment which concluded that Russian President Vladimir Putin intended to aid Trump during the 2016 presidential election against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
It’s important to note that actions from the campaign or during most of Trump’s initial term may now be outside the statute of limitations, which typically spans five years for federal crimes.
The Fox News article also referenced testimony provided by Brennan to the House Judiciary Committee in May 2023 regarding the Steele Dossier, a contentious issue during the 2016 campaign, but it did not cite any specific conduct by Comey in the last five years.
A special counsel, appointed by former Attorney General William Barr, examined the formation of the 2017 intelligence assessment over several years.
This investigation led to many CIA officials obtaining legal representation.
John Durham, the special counsel, utilized a grand jury to evaluate the actions of both Brennan and Comey, alongside many others involved in the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Ultimately, however, Durham did not file charges against the two former leaders or accuse them of any wrongdoing.
The lone charge developed during the Durham inquiry targeted a low-level FBI lawyer accused of falsifying a warrant application.
The Trump administration’s actions against individuals associated with investigations into the president and his supporters have been increasingly evident.
The Justice Department has initiated a ‘Weaponization Working Group’ to scrutinize these investigations and has dismissed numerous individuals who continued their work within the department.
On his first day in office, President Trump granted pardons to several of his supporters involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
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