The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched criminal investigations into former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey. This was reported by Fox News Digital, citing sources, as reported by UNN.
Details
It is noted that the investigations concern alleged violations related to previous government investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, in which Donald Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The full scope of the criminal investigations into Brennan and Comey is unclear, but two sources described the FBI's view of the duo's interactions as a "conspiracy," which could open up a wide range of potential options for indictment.
According to the report, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, appointed by Trump, referred materials regarding Brennan, who held the position during Barack Obama's presidency, for possible prosecution.
At the same time, a criminal investigation does not necessarily end in charges. Brennan has not yet responded to a request for comment. Comey also could not be reached at this time.
Fox reported that its sources came from the Department of Justice, but their number was not specified.
Reportedly, the investigation concerns two former officials who have long drawn the ire of Trump and his supporters due to their role in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
As Fox News Digital writes, James Comey headed the FBI when law enforcement launched a criminal investigation in 2016 into possible collusion between Trump's campaign and the Russian government to influence the election results. Trump fired Comey in 2017 at the beginning of his presidential term after Comey publicly confirmed that Trump was under investigation.
The investigation was then led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who indicted several Trump associates but found no evidence of criminal conspiracy between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.
Trump has sharply criticized this investigation for years and repeatedly called it a "Russian hoax."
Last week, a review of CIA activities found shortcomings in the preparation of the US intelligence assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election. At the same time, the conclusion that Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to influence the vote in favor of Trump remained unchanged.
Information about the investigation emerged amid criticism from some Trump supporters of the FBI and US Department of Justice leadership, who said they found no evidence to support long-standing conspiracy theories about the death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.