WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers representing former CIA Director John Brennan are taking steps to prevent the Justice Department from directing an ongoing investigation into him and other former officials to a judge in Florida deemed favorable towards Donald Trump.
In a letter addressed to U.S. District Judge Cecilia Altonaga, Brennan's attorneys expressed their concerns regarding 'judge-shopping' by the Justice Department, proposing that the investigation linked to alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election must not be allowed to fall into the hands of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who has previously ruled in favor of Trump.
Brennan and several other officials have recently received subpoenas as part of this scrutiny, with his legal counsel indicating that he has been flagged as a target of the inquiry. There are worries about the fairness and impartiality of the judicial process, especially given Cannon's history of dismissing a classified documents case against Trump.
Brennan's lawyers have emphasized the significance of having a judge who is selected independently and impartially, and requested assurances that any cases emerging from this grand jury investigation will be handled under such conditions.
Currently, it is unclear what specific charges prosecutors believe have been committed. However, subpoenas have requested documents about the Obama administration's intelligence community assessment from January 2017 that outlined Russia's covert operations intended to aid Trump against Hillary Clinton.
In a broader context, this inquiry comes amid ongoing tensions between Trump and former intelligence officials following an investigation during his presidency, which scrutinized possible collusion with Russia. While Trump faced no charges from that investigation, he has made it clear that he seeks retribution against those involved.
Moreover, the lawyers are concerned that the Justice Department's efforts might lead to a shift of the investigation to the Fort Pierce division, where Cannon is the sole judge, further consolidating the case's management.
Brennan’s defense team contends that this move is not rooted in legitimate legal rationale but rather in an effort to manipulate judicial processes, urging judicial supervision to ensure fairness in the proceedings.
