Former CIA Director John Brennan has been subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury in Fort Pierce, Florida, on October 15 as part of a Justice Department investigation into whether intelligence and law enforcement officials conspired to deprive President Donald Trump of his civil rights.
The subpoena was disclosed in a court filing made Monday by Brennan’s attorney, Ken Wainstein, who said prosecutors presented it to him last Thursday. Wainstein said he was told the subpoena is tied to a “far-reaching” criminal investigation examining whether officials who investigated Trump over the past decade acted in concert against him.
According to Wainstein, prosecutors told him that Brennan is a “target” in a separate probe into whether he made false statements, and a “subject” of the broader conspiracy investigation. One focus of the inquiry is whether Brennan lied to a House committee regarding the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia sought to help Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The disclosure comes shortly after Joseph diGenova, who had been serving as counselor to Attorney General Todd Blanche and helping lead the conspiracy probe, resigned along with his wife, Victoria Toensing. Wainstein indicated prosecutors told him the case remains viable and ongoing despite diGenova’s departure, which followed reported disagreements over the pace and approach of the investigation—diGenova reportedly favored a more meticulous process while prosecutors pushed for quicker results.
Brennan has faced years of scrutiny over allegations that he, along with former FBI Director James Comey and former President Barack Obama, played a role in advancing the Steele dossier and shaping the narrative that Trump was compromised by Russia—claims that have been widely disputed. October’s grand jury appearance will mark one of the most direct legal tests yet of those allegations, as Brennan is compelled to answer questions under oath.
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