The Obama-era intelligence establishment is finally facing accountability.
One former CIA director thought he was untouchable.
And John Brennan hit with one major escalation that could end his career in disgrace.
Barack Obama's CIA Director John Brennan spent years as the architect of Russiagate — the conspiracy theory that Donald Trump colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election.
Now the tables have turned.
Federal prosecutors in South Florida are preparing grand jury subpoenas as part of an investigation into Brennan's role in manufacturing the intelligence assessment that launched years of persecution against Trump.
This isn't some preliminary inquiry anymore.
DOJ preparing subpoenas in Florida grand jury probe
Federal prosecutors in both Miami and the nation's capital are now drafting grand jury subpoenas aimed at the Obama-era intelligence chief, Fox News has learned.¹
The criminal investigation is under the supervision of U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones in the Southern District of Florida.²
The investigation focuses on Brennan's involvement in creating the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that claimed Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Trump — a claim now exposed as politically motivated fraud.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan referred Brennan to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution in October, alleging the former CIA director "knowingly made false statements" during May 2023 testimony to Congress.³
Brennan told Jordan's committee under oath that "the CIA was not involved at all" with the Steele dossier — the discredited collection of lies about Trump paid for by Hillary Clinton's campaign.⁴
That testimony contradicts newly declassified documents showing Brennan personally forced CIA analysts to include the dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment over their objections.
Senior CIA officers with extensive Russia experience argued the dossier "failed to meet basic tradecraft standards" and shouldn't be included, according to declassified records.⁵
When confronted with the dossier's flaws, Brennan responded: "Yes, but doesn't it ring true?"⁶
That's not intelligence analysis — that's political hit job manufacturing.
The conspiracy that launched a presidency-long assault
Brennan didn't just include debunked opposition research in an official intelligence assessment.
He ran the entire operation to weaponize America's spy agencies against Trump.
The former CIA director took credit for launching the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation, telling Congress in May 2017 that his "concerns" about contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials "served as the basis for the FBI investigation."⁷
But here's what Brennan and his co-conspirators knew all along.
In late July 2016, the CIA received intelligence from Dutch spy services showing the entire Russia collusion narrative was a dirty trick manufactured by Hillary Clinton's campaign to tar Trump.⁸
The CIA properly forwarded this information through official channels to FBI Director James Comey and senior FBI officials with the subject line "Crossfire Hurricane" — the FBI's code name for its Trump investigation.⁹
They knew it was fake.
They investigated Trump anyway.
For two years, the FBI pursued Trump as a potential Russian agent while possessing intelligence proving the whole thing was Clinton campaign propaganda.
Brennan's role went beyond just starting the investigation.
As CIA director, he handpicked analysts to create the Intelligence Community Assessment after an earlier assessment by seasoned CIA Russia experts found no evidence of collusion or Russian interference favoring Trump.¹⁰
The Obama White House effectively buried that initial finding.
Brennan then orchestrated a rushed, politically charged process to produce the assessment Obama wanted — one that would cast a shadow over Trump's presidency from day one.
Pattern of deception finally catching up
This isn't Brennan's first rodeo lying to Congress.
During May 2017 testimony to the House Intelligence Committee — now outside the five-year statute of limitations for perjury — Brennan claimed the Steele dossier "was not in any way used as a basis for the Intelligence Community assessment."¹¹
Congressional investigators have documented a pattern of false statements.
Brennan testified that "the CIA was very much opposed to having any reference or inclusion of the Steele dossier" in the assessment.¹²
Declassified CIA memoranda show the opposite.
Brennan "formalized his position in writing" ordering the dossier included over objections from intelligence professionals.¹³
The dossier wasn't just mentioned — it appeared in the main body of the assessment and in a detailed two-page annex.¹⁴
CIA analysts told congressional investigators the decision to include discredited opposition research "ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment."¹⁵
One CIA officer reported that Brennan "refused to remove it" despite being confronted with its flaws.¹⁶
For years, Democrats and their media allies insisted the Intelligence Community Assessment represented the consensus view of America's intelligence agencies that Russia helped Trump win.
Brennan himself told MSNBC in December 2016 there was "strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our presidential election."¹⁷
All lies.
The assessment was produced by just five analysts using a single principal drafter — not the entire intelligence community.¹⁸
Production was subject to "unusual directives from the President and senior political appointees," according to the House Intelligence Committee's oversight report.¹⁹
CIA Director John Ratcliffe declassified documents in July 2025 showing the Obama administration "knowingly fabricated" the assessment's main findings "for the purpose of undermining the Trump Administration."²⁰
The intelligence community excluded reliable intelligence showing Russian officials were "planning for candidate Clinton's victory" — information that would have exposed the assessment's conclusions as implausible.²¹
Accountability finally arrives
Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted in October on charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements to Congress.²²
Comey pleaded not guilty and his trial is set for January.
Brennan hasn't been indicted yet.
But evidence will be presented to a grand jury in South Florida — a significant escalation from the preliminary investigation that began last summer when Ratcliffe referred Brennan for prosecution.
Conservative attorney Mike Davis, who advises the White House and Justice Department, said in recent weeks that the Florida grand jury will consider whether top Obama officials engaged in a massive conspiracy to violate Trump's civil rights through the Russia investigations.²³
Brennan responded predictably when he learned about the investigation in July, telling MSNBC where he works as a paid contributor that he was "clueless about what it is exactly that they may be investigating me for."²⁴
That performance didn't age well.
The evidence is now overwhelming.
Brennan orchestrated the intelligence assessment that launched two years of investigating Trump as a Russian agent.
He forced analysts to include Clinton campaign opposition research they knew was garbage.
He lied repeatedly to Congress about the CIA's role in spreading the Steele dossier.
And he did it all to help Democrats sabotage Trump's presidency.
For eight years, Brennan skated on his role as chief architect of the Russia hoax.
Those days are over.
The grand jury subpoenas represent justice delayed but not denied for one of the most consequential political scandals in American history.
¹ Fox News, "DOJ actively preparing to issue grand jury subpoenas relating to John Brennan investigation: sources," November 6, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ House Judiciary Committee Republicans, "Chairman Jordan Refers John Brennan to DOJ for Criminal Prosecution," October 21, 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ RealClearInvestigations, "The Brennan Dossier: All About a Prime Mover of Russiagate," November 15, 2019.
⁸ Tablet Magazine, "The Brennan Forgery," July 18, 2025.
⁹ Fox News, "FBI launches criminal investigations of John Brennan, James Comey: DOJ sources," July 9, 2025.
¹⁰ Office of the Director of National Intelligence, "New Evidence Uncovers Obama-Directed Creation of False Intelligence Report," 2025.
¹¹ Washington Times, "House refers ex-CIA chief Brennan for criminal prosecution for lying to Congress," October 21, 2025.
¹² House Judiciary Committee Republicans, "Chairman Jordan Refers John Brennan to DOJ for Criminal Prosecution," October 21, 2025.
¹³ American Thinker, "The arm of justice stretches toward John Brennan," October 22, 2025.
¹⁴ House Judiciary Committee Republicans, "Chairman Jordan Refers John Brennan to DOJ for Criminal Prosecution," October 21, 2025.
¹⁵ Office of the Director of National Intelligence, "New Evidence Uncovers Obama-Directed Creation of False Intelligence Report," 2025.
¹⁶ House Judiciary Committee Republicans, "Chairman Jordan Refers John Brennan to DOJ for Criminal Prosecution," October 21, 2025.
¹⁷ Office of the Director of National Intelligence, "New Evidence Uncovers Obama-Directed Creation of False Intelligence Report," 2025.
¹⁸ Ibid.
¹⁹ Ibid.
²⁰ House Judiciary Committee Republicans, "Chairman Jordan Refers John Brennan to DOJ for Criminal Prosecution," October 21, 2025.
²¹ Office of the Director of National Intelligence, "New Evidence Uncovers Obama-Directed Creation of False Intelligence Report," 2025.
²² Fox News, "DOJ actively preparing to issue grand jury subpoenas relating to John Brennan investigation: sources," November 6, 2025.
²³ MSNBC, "DOJ preparing subpoenas in investigation into John Brennan," November 6, 2025.
²⁴ Fox News, "FBI launches criminal investigations of John Brennan, James Comey: DOJ sources," July 9, 2025.
