CIA Review Puts Ex-Director Brennan at Risk of Perjury Probe

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Updated Jul 7, 2025, 02:54 AM

An internal review declassified by CIA Director John Ratcliffe concludes that former agency chief John Brennan insisted the unverified Steele Dossier be embedded in the Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, overruling career analysts who warned it fell short of basic tradecraft standards.

The finding undercuts Brennan’s sworn congressional testimony on 23 May 2017, in which he said the dossier "was not in any way used as a basis for the ICA." The newly released documentation shows Brennan formalized his demand in writing, a discrepancy that legal analysts say could expose him to perjury charges. The review also notes pressure from then-FBI Director James Comey to weave dossier references throughout the report.

Republican lawmakers have long argued the 2016 assessment was politicized and used to justify subsequent probes of Donald Trump. Ratcliffe’s disclosure is expected to draw scrutiny from the Justice Department, which has authority to determine whether Brennan’s testimony violated federal perjury statutes.

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