House Judiciary Committee Republicans have formally referred former CIA Director John Brennan to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for possible criminal prosecution, alleging that he lied to Congress about the CIA’s involvement in the controversial Steele dossier during testimony related to the Russian collusion investigation.
In a letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) claimed that Brennan “knowingly made false statements” during his May 2023 appearance before the committee. Jordan argued that the alleged falsehoods undermine Congress’s ability to conduct proper oversight.
“Congress cannot perform its oversight function if witnesses who appear before its committees do not provide truthful testimony,” Jordan wrote. “Making false statements before Congress is a crime that undermines the integrity of the Committee’s constitutional duty to conduct oversight.”
Brennan, who served as CIA Director under President Barack Obama, played a leading role in launching the 2016 intelligence assessment that concluded Russia sought to interfere in the presidential election to benefit then-candidate Donald Trump. That report — known as the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) — was prepared jointly by the CIA, FBI, and NSA.
During his 2023 testimony, Brennan told lawmakers that the CIA “was not involved at all” in the creation or inclusion of material from the Steele dossier, a politically funded opposition research document compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. The dossier alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russian officials — many of which have since been discredited or remain unverified.
However, Jordan’s referral letter cites declassified records and congressional reports indicating that the CIA and FBI leadership jointly decided to include elements from the Steele dossier in the ICA. A 2017 report from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence concluded that the decision to reference the dossier was made “by the Directors of CIA and FBI.”
“Brennan’s assertion that the CIA was not ‘involved at all’ with the Steele dossier cannot be reconciled with the facts,” Jordan wrote.
The letter also alleges that Brennan ignored internal objections from senior CIA officials who warned him about the dossier’s credibility. A declassified CIA memo reportedly shows that two mission center leaders flagged “specific flaws” in the Steele material, but Brennan dismissed their concerns.
“When senior CIA officers demanded that Brennan remove the Steele dossier from the ICA, Brennan ‘refused to remove it,’” the letter states. “When the officers presented evidence of the dossier’s ‘many flaws,’ Brennan responded, ‘Yes, but doesn’t it ring true?’ Ultimately, Brennan had to order [the dossier] included over the objections of [CIA] professionals.”
Jordan’s referral also cites Brennan’s earlier 2017 testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, where he allegedly made similar claims about the CIA’s noninvolvement with the dossier. However, the letter notes that the statute of limitations has expired on that earlier instance.
Brennan, who has since become a frequent television commentator and sharp critic of Donald Trump, has previously defended his handling of the Russia investigation. He has accused Trump of endangering democratic institutions and politicizing the intelligence community.
The DOJ has not yet commented on whether it will pursue the referral. Historically, congressional criminal referrals are not binding and do not guarantee prosecution, but they can prompt the department to open investigations or review prior testimony.
