Episode summary
Michael Popok reports on former CIA Director John Brennan's preemptive lawsuit against the Trump administration, filed July 1st as a 46-page complaint in federal court. Brennan is suing Donald Trump, Attorney General Todd Blanche, and special prosecutor Joe DiGenova to preserve evidence ahead of an expected criminal indictment related to his 2023 congressional testimony about Russian election interference and the Steele dossier. The lawsuit alleges vindictive prosecution and accuses the Trump administration of routinely destroying documents and using disappearing messaging apps like Signal. The case centers on claims that Brennan lied about the intelligence community's use of the Steele dossier in assessing Russian interference in the 2016 election. DiGenova, an 80-year-old former Reagan-era US attorney who previously served as Trump's criminal defense lawyer during the Mueller investigation, was appointed special prosecutor after the original Miami prosecutor told DOJ leadership the case was weak and was subsequently fired or transferred. The investigation is being conducted through a grand jury in Fort Pierce, Florida under Judge Aileen Cannon's jurisdiction, despite the alleged crime occurring in Washington DC, prompting allegations of deliberate judge-shopping. Popok notes that over 200 subpoenas have been issued, with prosecutors promising an indictment by year's end before the five-year statute of limitations expires in 2028. Brennan's strategy of suing first rather than waiting for indictment follows a precedent set by Kilmer Abrego Garcia, who successfully had his indictment dismissed for prosecutorial abuse. The complaint extensively documents Trump administration officials publicly calling Brennan a traitor and declaring him guilty before any charges, bolstering the vindictive prosecution claim.