“While it is mystifying how the prosecutors could possibly believe there is any legally justifiable basis for undertaking this investigation, they have done nothing to explain the mystery,” his lawyers wrote, describing the claims tentatively raised by the government as “manufactured.”
Former CIA Director John Brennan has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
According to The Associated Press, Brennan’s claim, filed on Wednesday, seeks a court order requiring federal officials to preserve any and all records related to investigations the former intelligence director believes are being used to target him for political purposes.
In legal filings, Brennan said that these records would be essential for his defense if the Trump administration ever attempts to indict him over unspecified charges.
“To fully consider these motions, the reviewing judge would need to scrutinize the motivations of the Justice Department officials who directed, oversaw, or undertook those actions to determine whether they were motivated by a desire to vindictively prosecute him as an act of retribution,” Brennan’s attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit names defendants including President Donald Trump, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel, along with the Florida-based prosecutors currently investigating Brennan and other former government officials.
“Administration officials from the Acting Attorney General to the FBI Director and the Counselor overseeing the Brennan investigations have been publicly declaring Director Brennan a criminal, not only before securing a conviction but even before a full investigation and an indictment,” the lawsuit states. “And, certain officials in the Department of Justice are engaging in demonstrably irregular prosecutorial activity in order to gin up a case that will satisfy the President’s direction.”
The lawsuit also suggests that the motion is necessary, in large part because the Trump administration has repeatedly shown itself unwilling to engage with the legal system in good faith.
“Officials of this Administration,” attorneys added, “have shown an advertent disdain for their preservation obligations.”
CNN notes that the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida has approved a wave of investigations into Brennan, including an inquiry into whether Brennan misled Congress about an intelligence report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Brennan maintains that he simply did his duty and never engaged in any form of professional wrongdoing.
Late last year, Brennan’s lawyers sent a letter demanding that the U.S. Attorney overseeing the investigation explain the basis of their inquiry and what, if any, criminal charges were being considered. Brennan said, at the time, that he never received an answer.
“While it is mystifying how the prosecutors could possibly believe there is any legally justifiable basis for undertaking this investigation, they have done nothing to explain the mystery,” his lawyers wrote, describing the claims tentatively raised by the government as “manufactured.”
Sources
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Key prosecutor in John Brennan investigation has been removed from case, AP source says
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Trump foe John Brennan sues administration demanding investigative records into him be preserved
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