In reversal, Justice Department withdraws subpoenas in John Brennan
investigation, AP sources say
[April 22, 2026]
By ERIC TUCKER
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has withdrawn subpoenas issued
in the investigation of former CIA Director John Brennan, with officials
asking for voluntary interviews instead of testimony before a grand
jury, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
A small handful of subpoenas were known to have been issued over the
weekend for witnesses to appear before a grand jury in Washington. But
investigators on Monday evening informed lawyers that the subpoenas were
being withdrawn in favor of requests for voluntary interviews, said the
people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press to
discuss developments in an ongoing investigation.
The reason for the reversal in course was not immediately known.
The months-old Brennan investigation is one of several criminal probes
the Justice Department has opened over the last year against President
Donald Trump’s perceived adversaries. It centers on one of the
Republican president’s chief grievances — a U.S. intelligence community
finding that Russia interfered on his behalf during his successful 2016
presidential campaign.
The subpoenas were issued after a shake-up in the Justice Department
team leading the investigation. A career national security prosecutor in
Florida who had been handling the inquiry recently left the case after
expressing doubt about the legal viability of a potential criminal
prosecution, according to another person familiar with the matter.
The Justice Department on Monday installed a Trump loyalist, Joe
diGenova, who served as U.S. attorney in Washington during the Reagan
administration, as a counselor to the attorney general who will now work
on the Brennan investigation. The 81-year-old former prosecutor
supported Trump's failed legal campaign to undo the results of the 2020
presidential election and has also been an outspoken critic of Trump
foes like Brennan, saying in a television interview years ago that the
former CIA director was “at the head” of a conspiracy to falsely link
Trump to Russia.
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At an unrelated news conference on Tuesday, acting Attorney General
Todd Blanche brushed aside questions about whether diGenova's past
comments could create a conflict of interest and leave him
susceptible to claims of bias.
“The mere fact that he has spoken about his perception — he didn’t
have access to grand jury information, he didn’t have access to
witnesses. And so, like any prosecutor, I expect that he will follow
the facts. And those facts come from witnesses and grand jury
information,” Blanche said.
Brennan served as CIA director under President Barack Obama and was
in that role when the intelligence community in January 2017
published an assessment detailing Russian interference aimed at
helping Trump defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. An
investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller concluded that
Russia meddled on Trump’s behalf and that his campaign welcomed the
assistance, but it did not find sufficient evidence to prove a
criminal conspiracy.
The Justice Department last year received a criminal referral from
Rep. Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary
Committee, alleging that Brennan made false statements in 2023 about
the preparation of the intelligence community assessment. Brennan
and his lawyers have vigorously denied any wrongdoing and have
called the investigation politically motivated.
The investigation has been led by prosecutors in Florida, with
investigators lining up interviews and issuing subpoenas for
records. The latest subpoenas sought grand jury testimony in
Washington, a possible indication that prosecutors believe they
might need to bring any criminal case in Washington, where Brennan’s
testimony took place.
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