Former CIA director John Brennan at the National Press Club in Washington, U.S., October 30, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
Former CIA Director John O. Brennan is among the foes of President Donald Trump who has been the target of a probe by the Trump-era U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The Brennan probe, however, isn't going well so far.
According to reporting from CNN, DOJ federal prosecutor Maria Medetis Long has been removed from the investigation.
Ivan Perez and Hannah Rabinowitz of CNN report that on Friday morning, April 17, Long "notified attorneys representing people involved in the case that she was no longer handling the investigation, the people familiar with the matter said."
"She has led the politically sensitive probe for months amid demands from Trump to prosecute Brennan and other critics," Perez and Rabinowitz note. "The investigation into Brennan is focused on one of the president's longest standing political grievances — the 2017 intelligence assessment that found Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help him."
The CNN reporters add, "Trump's demands have taken on more urgency for the Justice Department after Trump fired former Attorney General Pam Bondi, in part because of dissatisfaction at the slow pace of cases he wants brought. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has redoubled efforts to satisfy the president's demands as he seeks to keep the job after Bondi's ouster."
Brennan, a frequent Trump critic, has called for Congress to use the U.S. Constitution's 25th Amendment to remove him from office.
The Brennan investigation stems from Trump's long-standing grievance over the 2017 intelligence community assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to benefit Trump's candidacy. Brennan, who served as CIA Director under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017, played a key role in that assessment and has remained one of Trump's most vocal critics since leaving office. He has repeatedly called for Trump's removal via the 25th Amendment and has been a prominent voice warning about threats to democratic institutions.
Trump has repeatedly demanded that his Justice Department prosecute Brennan and other intelligence officials involved in investigations related to his 2016 campaign. These prosecutorial demands intensified after Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi over frustration with the pace of cases he wanted pursued. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has since accelerated efforts to meet Trump's prosecutorial agenda. The removal of the lead prosecutor from Brennan's case suggests internal friction within the DOJ over the politically sensitive investigation, raising questions about whether the probe can proceed or will stall further under the current administration.