The lead federal prosecutor overseeing a criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan has been removed from the case, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News. Maria Medetis Long, head of the national security section for the U.S. attorney’s office in the Southern District of Florida, informed defense attorneys this week that she was no longer assigned to the ongoing probe.
A source familiar with the matter said her removal followed her notification to U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones that she believed there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges against Brennan. CNN first reported the personnel change, noting Long had resisted pressure to bring charges against Brennan quickly. The Justice Department confirmed the reassignment but emphasized that such personnel moves are routine and aimed at effective allocation of resources.
Chris DeLorenz, a Justice Department official who recently transitioned from Washington to Miami, has been assigned to the case. DeLorenz previously clerked for U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon during investigations related to former President Donald Trump and worked in the office of the deputy attorney general.
The investigation originated from a Republican-led House Judiciary Committee referral last October accusing Brennan of lying to Congress. The referral, spearheaded by Chairman Jim Jordan, alleged that Brennan falsely denied that the CIA relied on the Steele dossier—an unverified intelligence document prepared by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele—when drafting the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 election. Jordan also accused Brennan of falsely stating the CIA opposed including the dossier in the report.
Federal prosecutors and FBI agents are set to interview a former CIA official in early May as a witness in the investigation. The official has been interviewed multiple times and questioned about the inclusion of the Steele dossier in the Intelligence Community Assessment, as well as internal CIA disagreements with Brennan over the intelligence conclusions during the Obama administration. These events occurred in 2016, outside the statute of limitations for prosecution. The focus is on whether Brennan committed perjury in his 2023 congressional testimony regarding these matters.
Legal experts have called the removal of Medetis Long unusual. Greg Brower, a former U.S. attorney, told CBS News that such personnel changes are not standard practice and likened the move to a similar case in eastern Virginia involving concerns about evidence in politically sensitive investigations.
Separately, the Miami U.S. attorney’s office is investigating a referral from former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who alleged without evidence that Brennan and other Obama-era officials manufactured the 2017 assessment. The status of that probe remains unclear. This office is also reviewing documents related to former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into President Trump, though details remain confidential.
Why it matters
The reassignment of the lead prosecutor highlights internal disagreements within the Justice Department over the viability of charges in a politically sensitive investigation involving high-profile intelligence officials. The probe has wide-ranging implications for the integrity of intelligence assessments concerning Russian interference in the 2016 election and congressional oversight of intelligence agencies.
Background
The investigation into Brennan began following a referral by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, focusing on his 2023 testimony to Congress. Brennan is accused of lying about the CIA’s use of the Steele dossier, a document containing unverified allegations about then-candidate Donald Trump. The dossier’s role in intelligence community reports has been highly contested, fueling political disputes over the investigation into election interference.
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