Senate Leaders Thune and Cotton Stall DOJ Access to John Brennan Transcripts

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton have refused to release Senate transcripts about former CIA director John Brennan, despite a Justice Department deadline.

Earlier this year the Justice Department sent letters to two Senate committees demanding full, unredacted transcripts, depositions and related documents about former CIA director John Brennan’s role in the now-dismissed Russia-collusion allegations, with a Feb. 23 compliance deadline. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton of Arkansas have yet to bring a resolution before the GOP-controlled Senate or secure a floor vote, effectively blocking the request.

The hold-up hampers a grand-jury probe in Fort Pierce, Florida, led by veteran prosecutor Joe diGenova, which seeks to determine whether Obama- and Biden-era officials weaponized intelligence against Donald Trump. While prosecutors were permitted to view one Senate Intelligence Committee report in a secure setting, broader evidence remains locked. The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Jim Jordan, has already passed similar documents to the Justice Department. Critics argue the Senate’s inaction undermines accountability and raises questions about which interests the Republican leaders are protecting.