Former CIA Director John Brennan to testify before grand jury

The former director of the US foreign secret service CIA, John Brennan, is now set to testify in an investigation into an alleged far-reaching conspiracy against US President Donald Trump. Brennan has received a subpoena from the public prosecutor's office and is scheduled to appear before a so-called grand jury in Florida on October 15, his lawyer Ken Wainstein said.

The investigation is based on a vague theory that investigations against Trump - for example in connection with Russian interference in the 2016 election or the storage of secret government documents at his Florida estate - were part of a conspiracy. The aim was to deprive Trump of his civil rights. In addition to Brennan, other people were summoned.

Last week, the lead prosecutor in the case unexpectedly resigned. The White House is said to have been dissatisfied with the progress of its investigation. The grand jury is scheduled to convene in October in Fort Pierce. Trump-appointed federal judge Aileen Cannon, who dropped criminal proceedings against Trump in 2024 for storing secret documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, also sits there.

Lawyer calls crime “completely made up”

Brennan's lawyer has accused the US government of unfairly prosecuting his client. The Justice Department is "openly trying to frame someone for a crime that is completely fabricated," Ken Wainstein said during the hearing in Washington.

Wainstein called on Judge Jia Cobb to require the department to preserve all documents from the investigation into the former foreign intelligence chief. The files could provide important clues about the government's determination to prosecute Brennan, who has repeatedly criticized US President Donald Trump, Wainstein said.

“Vengeful and selective”

The defense also needs the documents in order to be able to challenge a possible criminal prosecution as unconstitutional, vindictive and selective. “There is no precedent for this situation,” Wainstein said. He worked for decades in the Ministry of Justice environment and could never imagine such a situation. From his point of view, favorable jurisdictions were specifically selected in order to take action against political opponents like Brennan at Trump's request. He also pointed out the replacement or resignation of prosecutors who are said to have expressed doubts or concerns internally. There were "a lot of really underhanded things going on" in this investigation, Wainstein said.