Former CIA Director John Brennan Referred to DOJ Over Steele Dossier Claims
The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday referred former CIA Director John Brennan to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution for allegedly lying to Congress about the use of the debunked Steele Dossier in the Russiagate probe. The referral marks a serious escalation from oversight to potential criminal charges. Republicans say this is about holding intelligence officials accountable when they mislead Congress and the American people.
The committee sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi alleging that Brennan “knowingly made false statements during his transcribed interview before the Committee on the Judiciary on May 11, 2023.” It also claims the former CIA director “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.”
The letter specifically states that “Brennan falsely denied that the CIA relied on the discredited Steele Dossier in drafting the post-election Intelligence Community Assessment.” That denial is central to the criminal referral and to Republicans’ broader argument that the intel community covered for political narratives. If the allegation is true, it undercuts public trust in how raw intelligence was presented to policymakers.
The Steele Dossier, commissioned by Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 campaign, contained a series of unsubstantiated and salacious claims about President Donald Trump. Many of those claims were never verified, yet they were folded into the narrative that Trump colluded with Russia to affect the 2016 election. Conservatives have long argued the dossier was weaponized as part of a broader attempt to damage a political opponent.
Earlier this year, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released a report that Republicans say exposed Brennan’s alleged push to include the dossier material despite objections from analysts. The report showed Brennan insisted on including the content in the Intelligence Community Assessment even as analysts raised concerns. Brennan, meanwhile, has publicly claimed he did not support including the dossier in the report, creating a sharp factual dispute.
One intelligence analyst stepped forward to say Brennan pressured the assessment to reflect those disputed claims and to describe agency efforts to shape the narrative. According to committee materials, the Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), muted that analyst’s testimony. The analyst was also allegedly threatened by staff tied to then-DNI Director James Clapper, who insinuated career consequences if the analyst refused to back the agency line.
Republicans point to those dynamics as evidence that political operatives inside the intelligence community prioritized a storyline over objective analysis. The DOJ referral asks prosecutors to consider whether those actions crossed the line into criminal false statements and obstruction. For conservatives, the moment is about restoring credibility to once-respected institutions and proving that no one is above the law.
The potential charges focus on specific, documented statements and the committee’s view that Brennan’s claims conflict with records compiled by HPSCI and the CIA. Attorneys for the former director will likely contest the referral, and the Justice Department will decide whether to open a criminal investigation. Either way, the move ensures this controversy remains in the headlines and in courtrooms until resolved.
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