In a reversal that DOJ officials did not immediately explain, federal prosecutors have pulled back subpoenas tied to the long-running criminal inquiry into former CIA Director John Brennan, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The Justice Department withdrew the subpoenas after they had been issued for a limited number of witnesses to testify before a grand jury in Washington over the weekend, the people said. On Monday evening, investigators informed lawyers that the subpoenas were being withdrawn in favor of requests for voluntary interviews rather than compelled grand jury testimony.
Officials did not disclose the reason for the shift, the AP reported, with the timing coming after changes in how the case was being handled internally. The Brennan investigation has been one of several criminal probes the Justice Department has opened over the last year involving President Donald Trump’s perceived adversaries, with the inquiry centered on a U.S. intelligence community assessment that concluded Russia interfered to help Trump’s 2016 campaign.
The case focuses on events and statements tied to that 2016 assessment, which was published in January 2017 while Brennan was CIA director under President Barack Obama. An investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller later concluded that Russia meddled on Trump’s behalf and that the campaign welcomed the help, but Mueller’s team did not find sufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy.
Prosecutors in Florida have led the Brennan inquiry, using interviews and subpoenas to seek records. The latest subpoenas had sought grand jury testimony in Washington, a step that could have indicated prosecutors believed they might need testimony there, where Brennan previously testified.
The subpoenas were also tied to developments within DOJ staffing. According to another person familiar with the matter, a career national security prosecutor in Florida who had been handling the investigation left the case after expressing doubt about the legal viability of a potential criminal prosecution.
After that shake-up, DOJ installed Joe diGenova—described by AP as a Trump loyalist and a former U.S. attorney in Washington during the Reagan administration—as a counselor to the attorney general, with the role including work on the Brennan investigation. AP reported that diGenova, 81, had supported Trump’s failed legal effort to undo the 2020 presidential election results, and that in a television interview years earlier he criticized Trump’s foes including Brennan, saying Brennan was “at the head” of a conspiracy alleging a false link between Trump and Russia.
At an unrelated news conference on Tuesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed questions about whether diGenova’s past comments could create a conflict of interest or invite claims of bias. Blanche said the “mere fact” that diGenova had spoken about his perception was not enough to show bias and added that diGenova did not have access to grand jury information or witnesses. Blanche said he expects diGenova, “like any prosecutor,” to follow the facts, which Blanche said come from witnesses and grand jury information.
The Brennan investigation began after DOJ received a criminal referral from Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, alleging Brennan made false statements in 2023 about the preparation of the intelligence community assessment. Brennan and his lawyers have denied any wrongdoing, AP said, and have described the investigation as politically motivated.