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Justice Department Subpoenas Witnesses To D.C. Grand Jury In John Brennan Probe
The Justice Department has subpoenaed witnesses to a Washington, D.C., federal grand jury in the criminal probe of former CIA Director John Brennan. The subpoenas were issued in Washington because the testimony under scrutiny occurred there, even as a related federal grand jury has reportedly sat in Miami since late last year. Authorities have sought testimony from at least three witnesses, and Reuters reported the FBI planned to interview about six people tied to intelligence assessments of Russian 2016 election interference.
The move followed removal of Maria Medetis Long, a Miami U.S. attorney's office prosecutor who told supervisors she doubted there was sufficient evidence to bring charges. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche tapped Joseph diGenova, a conservative lawyer and former Trump ally, to serve as special counselor and to oversee the Brennan probe in Florida. DiGenova's past public attacks and promotion of 2020 election conspiracy theories have drawn criticism and raised questions about the probe's political appearance. The Justice Department said staff changes are routine and healthy, but legal experts call it unusual to move cooperating witnesses from voluntary interviews to compulsory grand jury testimony.
Earlier coverage emphasized Medetis Long's removal and her doubts about prosecuting Brennan, framing the investigation as potentially stalled for lack of evidence. More recent reporting from CBS News, PBS and the Associated Press has highlighted a sharper turn, noting subpoenas for former officials and a shift to aggressive grand jury tactics. Those outlets report subpoenas were issued shortly after DiGenova's appointment, suggesting new leadership drove the change from voluntary cooperation to compelled testimony. Social media and commentators have reacted sharply to DiGenova's role, citing his past calls for violence and drawing parallels to earlier politically charged DOJ personnel moves.
Justice Department and FBI
Trump-Russia Investigations
Congressional Oversight and Perjury Probes
Department of Justice and Trump-Era Probes
John Brennan Investigation
This story is compiled from 6 sources using AI-assisted curation and analysis. Original reporting is attributed below. Learn about our methodology.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- Justice Department prosecutors have issued subpoenas for multiple former senior intelligence and FBI officials to testify before a Washington, D.C., federal grand jury in the John Brennan investigation; Associated Press reports at least three subpoenas and several witnesses who had previously participated in voluntary interviews have been compelled to testify.
- A separate federal grand jury has been impaneled in Miami since late last year for the broader Brennan-related inquiry; the D.C. grand jury subpoenas were sought because the Brennan testimony under scrutiny occurred in Washington.
- Maria Medetis Long, a national security prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida who had been handling the false-statements probe and related conspiracy angles, was removed from the case after telling superiors she doubted there was sufficient legal justification to charge Brennan; she emailed colleagues that she would no longer be working on the investigation.
- The probe originated from a Republican-led referral (October/2025) by Rep. Jim Jordan alleging Brennan made false statements to Congress about the 2017 intelligence community assessment and the CIA’s use of the Steele dossier.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has tapped conservative attorney and Trump ally Joseph DiGenova—sworn in in Florida as a special counselor—to oversee the criminal investigation and serve as counselor while leading the probe.
- DiGenova’s appointment came shortly before the D.C. subpoenas were issued and has drawn scrutiny because of his past role advancing 2020 election conspiracy theories and inflammatory public comments.
- Legal experts say it is unusual to abruptly convert cooperating witnesses’ voluntary interviews into grand jury testimony; some sources suggest the new leadership may be seeking a more aggressive use of the grand jury after Washington juries have been reluctant to indict in politically sensitive matters.
- Reports say the FBI is ramping up investigative activity—seeking records tied to intelligence assessments of Russian interference in 2016 and planning additional witness interviews (Reuters cited about six); Brennan denies wrongdoing.
đź“° Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
April 20, 2026
7:25 PM
AP sources: Witnesses subpoenaed to testify before D.C. grand jury in John Brennan investigation
New information:
- Associated Press reports DOJ has subpoenaed at least three witnesses to testify before a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., in the Brennan investigation.
- Article confirms the latest subpoenas seek grand jury testimony in Washington because Brennan's 2023 testimony that is under scrutiny occurred there.
- AP adds that former national security prosecutor Maria Medetis Long was removed after expressing doubts about the legal viability of a prosecution.
- The piece reports that Joseph diGenova, 81, has been sworn in in Florida as special counselor to the attorney general and is expected to work on the Brennan investigation.
- AP reiterates the probe stems from a criminal referral by Rep. Jim Jordan alleging Brennan made false statements about the 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian interference.
2:42 PM
Witnesses in criminal probe of ex-CIA Director Brennan subpoenaed, sources say
New information:
- Former senior intelligence and FBI officials cooperating with the DOJ probe have now been subpoenaed to testify before a Washington, D.C. grand jury.
- The subpoenas were issued shortly after Joe DiGenova was appointed to take over the Brennan criminal investigation.
- Many subpoenaed witnesses had previously agreed to voluntary interviews with FBI agents and prosecutors, which have now been replaced by compulsory grand jury testimony.
- Legal experts told CBS it is unusual to abruptly switch cooperating witnesses from voluntary interviews to direct grand jury testimony.
- Sources suggest DiGenova may be seeking to use the grand jury aggressively after Washington juries have increasingly declined to indict in politically sensitive cases.
April 19, 2026
3:08 PM
Trump ally diGenova tapped to lead DOJ probe into Brennan over Russia probe origins
New information:
- Fox report, citing the New York Times, reiterates that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche tapped Joseph diGenova to oversee the Brennan investigation.
- Clarifies that a federal grand jury has been impaneled in Miami since late last year for the Brennan-related inquiry.
- Reports that federal investigators have issued subpoenas for information tied to intelligence assessments of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
- Notes Maria Medetis Long had been handling a false-statements probe into Brennan plus broader conspiracy angles before her ouster.
- Reiterates diGenova's past public accusations that Brennan colluded with the FBI and DOJ to frame Trump, which have not produced charges.
April 18, 2026
8:02 PM
Lawyer who led effort to overturn 2020 election will oversee probe of ex-CIA director
New information:
- Justice Department has tapped conservative attorney and Trump ally Joseph DiGenova to oversee the criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan from the Southern District of Florida.
- DiGenova will serve as counselor to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche while leading the Brennan probe.
- A source told CBS News that Maria Medetis Long was removed from the case after she expressed concerns about the strength of the evidence.
- The article details DiGenova's history as a Trump campaign lawyer who advanced 2020 'stolen election' conspiracy theories and called for former CISA director Chris Krebs to be 'drawn and quartered' and 'shot,' comments that led to an apology and lawsuit.
- The Brennan investigation stems from an October referral by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee chaired by Jim Jordan, alleging Brennan lied about the CIA's use of the Steele dossier in the 2016 Russia assessment.
- CBS notes the case has been 'heating up' with continued witness interviews and that former Judge Aileen Cannon law clerk Chris DeLorenz has joined the prosecutorial team in the Southern District of Florida.
- The piece draws a parallel to a prior instance in which Trump ousted the top prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia and installed a loyalist after concerns about evidence in cases targeting James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
April 17, 2026
9:45 PM
DOJ removes top prosecutor who questioned case against former CIA director John Brennan
New information:
- Identifies the lead prosecutor as Maria Medetis Long of the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of Florida.
- Reports she told superiors she believed there was not ample justification to bring criminal charges against John Brennan.
- Says she had agreed weeks earlier to help Miami U.S. Attorney Jason Quinones probe alleged law violations tied to how the Obama DOJ opened the Russia-interference investigation.
- Clarifies the probe stems from a 2025 referral by Rep. Jim Jordan alleging Brennan made false statements to Congress in 2023.
- Notes Medetis Long emailed attorneys on Thursday stating she would no longer be working on the investigation.
- Includes an on-the-record DOJ statement calling such personnel changes 'completely healthy and normal' and 'routine practice.'
- Adds Reuters reporting that the FBI is ramping up the Brennan probe and plans to interview about six witnesses, including former U.S. intelligence officials, in coming weeks.
- Reiterates that Brennan has denied wrongdoing and ties the case to scrutiny of the 2017 intelligence assessment on Russian interference helping Trump.