The Justice Department removed a prosecutor who had worked on the inquiry into John Brennan, and sources say the decision followed internal doubts about charging the former CIA director, with the john brennan probe prosecutor removed phrase cited by colleagues and sources.
Prosecutor Maria Medetis Long told colleagues that she did not see ample justification to bring criminal charges against Brennan, according to a person briefed on her discussions who requested anonymity, and she said she expected to withdraw from the matter.
Long sent an email to attorneys representing clients drawn into the investigation saying she would no longer be working on the probe, according to a person familiar with her notification. It was first reported by CNN that Long had left the case.
The investigation had been assigned to Long to assist Miami US Attorney Jason Quinones. She had agreed weeks earlier to help probe possible law violations tied to how the Obama Justice Department opened an inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election, as reported by the sources.
The Justice Department described changes in staffing as routine practice in a statement to MS NOW. It was not immediately clear why Long was reassigned or who would take over the investigation.
Probe Status And Wider Context
Reuters reported the FBI is ramping up its work on the matter and plans to interview about six witnesses, including former US intelligence officials, over upcoming weeks, according to that outlet.
The investigation into Brennan relates to a 2017 US intelligence assessment that tied Russian activity to the 2016 election and to the CIA's referral of concerns about contacts between Russian operatives and Trump campaign advisers, according to the reporting.
The 2019 Mueller Report, led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, later concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election through hacking and a broad social media campaign, and that the Trump campaign welcomed but did not criminally conspire with those efforts, as reported by the sources.
Brennan has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said his actions while in government and afterward were lawful, despite accusations from President Trump and his allies that he abused his authority, according to the reporting. The investigation has been described in the articles as part of a broader Justice Department focus on political opponents.
