Records reveal that former CIA Director John Brennan met with Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team while preparing the case against Donald Trump, contradicting Smith’s previous claims of never meeting Brennan.
Newly declassified records indicate that former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team met with John Brennan, the former CIA director and vocal critic of Donald Trump, while preparing the classified-documents case against the former president. This revelation comes despite Smith’s assertions to lawmakers that he had “never met” Brennan.
The meeting between Brennan and two assistant special counsels occurred in November 2023 at CIA headquarters in McLean, Virginia. According to the declassified documents, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss expert testimony related to National Defense Information for the upcoming trial, suggesting that prosecutors were considering utilizing Brennan’s national security expertise in their case against Trump.
This new information adds to the scrutiny surrounding Smith’s investigations into Trump, which have faced accusations of political bias and overreach. Harvard Law professor and former Trump impeachment counsel Alan Dershowitz has criticized Smith’s work, describing it as a “partisan weapon” that violated legal standards and misled the court. Similarly, investigative reporter John Solomon has characterized the probes as part of a “10-year conspiracy” aimed at undermining Trump using government resources.
During a recent appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Smith faced questions from Republican lawmakers regarding allegations of bias and misconduct in his investigations, including the Arctic Frost 2020 election probe and the classified-documents case, referred to as “Plasmic Echo.” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, specifically inquired whether Smith had ever received consultation or counsel from Brennan.
When pressed by Grassley, Smith maintained, “I’ve never met John Brennan.” However, the newly released records demonstrate that members of Smith’s team did indeed meet with Brennan, which Grassley argues constitutes “consultation or counsel” from the former CIA director to Smith and his team.
Grassley described Smith’s response to the committee as “highly evasive and misleading.” He later followed up by asking Smith if he had ever conversed with Brennan, to which Smith replied, “I have no recollection of having a conversation with John Brennan.”
The declassified documents also included a memo detailing the November 2023 meeting, along with two pages of notes from CIA headquarters. However, much of the text beneath Brennan’s name was redacted, leaving the rest of the pages blank. Notably, Brennan was not serving as CIA director during the time frame relevant to Smith’s classified-documents case, and the records do not suggest he had direct knowledge of Trump’s alleged mishandling of documents.
Critics, including Grassley and other GOP lawmakers, have accused Smith of overstepping his bounds and exhibiting political bias in his investigations. They have pointed to records indicating that Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation obtained financial information from thousands of Trump donors and phone records of Republican lawmakers, raising further questions about the conduct of his inquiries.
In response to allegations of political motivation, Smith has consistently defended the integrity of his investigations, asserting that his decisions were based on evidence rather than political considerations. His team has not publicly commented on the specifics of the meeting with Brennan or the broader implications of the newly declassified records.
As the investigations continue, the political landscape surrounding Trump remains fraught with tension, with both sides of the aisle scrutinizing the actions of the special counsel’s office. The implications of these revelations could have significant consequences for the ongoing legal battles faced by Trump and the broader political discourse leading into the 2024 elections.
Fox News Digital reached out to Smith’s attorneys and the Justice Department for comments regarding the Brennan meeting but did not receive a response.
According to Fox News, the unfolding situation continues to attract attention as it raises questions about the integrity of the investigations and the motivations behind them.