Rep. Jim Jordan (R), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, attends a field hearing on New York City violent crimes at Javits Federal Building in New York City on April 17, 2023. (Photo credit: lev radin / Shutterstock)
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan referred former CIA Director John Brennan to the Department of Justice on Tuesday, saying Brennan made "knowing and willful" false statements in testimony before Congress in May 2023.
The referral is addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi and alleges that Brennan misled lawmakers over denying the CIA's involvement with the Steele dossier, which contradicted other declassified documents, according to Newsweek. It asks for a prompt review of potential charges.
"The Steele dossier was a series of reports containing baseless accusations concerning President [Donald] Trump’s ties to Russia compiled and delivered to the FBI in 2016 by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele," according to the letter.
Brennan is accused of making a "brazen attempt to knowingly and willfully testify falsely and fictitiously to material facts," according to the referral letter. It also argues his comments could have violated the federal statute prohibiting false statements to Congress.
President Donald Trump and his allies have long maintained that former President Barack Obama's top intelligence officials should face indictments.
Brennan has criticized Trump over his handling of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Well, I think first of all, Donald Trump is quite intimidated by Vladimir Putin," Brennan said in August. "I think he admires Vladimir Putin's strength and his will in terms of prosecuting this war, is very unfortunate to say."
"I think he realizes that he's not going to move Putin off of this position. Putin has thought through these issues for many, many years, and I think he was determined to get to Alaska and to lay down the law, basically, with Donald Trump. And so I think Donald Trump gave in to him. And so that's why he changed his position, claiming that a ceasefire is not important."