Brennan, who served under President Barack Obama, was one of the intelligence officials who signed off on an intelligence assessment that stated that Russia was intervening to help then-candidate Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Brennan’s involvement in investigating Russian election interference and frequent public criticism of President Trump has earned the president his honor. Trump has cited Brennan as one of several national security officials he holds responsible for the subsequent investigation into Robert Mueller, who consumed the young years of Trump’s presidency.
Brennan, according to Shapiro, asked Durham why the CIA’s findings were being investigated by the Justice Department, given that reports released by Mueller and a two-party House Intelligence Committee validated his findings.
Brennan also told Durham that the repeated efforts of Donald Trump and William Barr to politicize Mr Durham’s work were appalling and condemned the independence and integrity of the Department of Justice, making it difficult for DOJ professionals to task to be performed, ”Shapiro added.
Shapiro said it was Brennan’s “fervent hope that the results of the Durham review will be apolitical and not be influenced by personal or partisan agendas.”
Trump warned Brennan of his security delay in 2018, saying his “erratic behavior and behavior” posed risks. The move was widely criticized by former intelligence officials.
The Durham probe, which Trump allies hope to encourage the president to run for office in November, confirmed his first guilty plea on Wednesday when a former FBI attorney pleaded guilty to altering an e-mail that was used to oversee warrants against former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.
