Former CIA director John Brennan sued the Trump administration over multiple probes targeting him, claiming he is being “vindictively singled out for investigation and prosecution” by officials, according to court documents.
Brennan, a long-time opponent of President Donald Trump, filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Justice Department (DOJ) to force the preservation of records related active investigations targeting him. The court documents name two federal probes. One was related to allegations of a cospiracy by officials in former President Barack Obama’s administration to prevent Trump from taking office following claims of Rusian interference in the 2016 election. The second was connected to allegations that Brennan gave false statements while testifying in 2023 about the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). The lawsuit marks the first major legal action from Brennan amid the investigations being conducted by the DOJ.
Brennan’s attorneys claimed in the filing that the ex-CIA director faces investigations into “phantom criminal conduct” and is a target of the DOJ as an adversary of Trump. (RELATED: Editor Daily Rundown: John Brennan Referred For Criminal Prosecution By House Judiciary Committee)
“President Trump has been condemning and calling for Director Brennan’s prosecution for years,” the filing states. “Administration officials from the Acting Attorney General to the FBI Director and the Counselor overseeing the Brennan investigations have been publicly declaring Director Brennan a criminal, not only before securing a conviction in court but even before a full investigation and an indictment.”
Former CIA Director John Brennan sues the Trump administration, demanding it preserve records of investigations into him. https://t.co/nHzV7aLNpX
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 1, 2026
The lawsuit names Trump, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the DOJ, FBI Director Kash Patel, and others. The House Judiciary Committee referred Brennan to the DOJ for a criminal case in October 2025. The House Intelligence Committee voted to provide multiple classified hearing transcripts to the DOJ connected to Brennan in March, a source familiar told NBC News.
U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, a nominee of former President Joe Biden, is responsible for Brennan’s case, CBS News reported.