AG Bondi Slams Brennan Lawyers as ‘Bad Actors’ After Request to Block Judge in Grand Jury Fight
Former CIA Director John Brennan’s lawyers formally asked the chief federal judge in Florida to block Judge Aileen Cannon from any grand jury proceeding tied to him, and the country’s top law enforcement official called that move evidence of “bad actors” trying to evade accountability.
The dispute underscores mounting tension over how the U.S. Department of Justice is handling a still-evolving grand jury investigation into Brennan and other former government officials, who were subpoenaed in a probe connected to the 2016 Russia intelligence assessment.
Brennan’s defense attorneys told Chief Judge Cecilia Altonaga that they are concerned DOJ prosecutors are attempting to steer the matter to Judge Aileen Cannon, a jurist who dismissed a classified documents case against former President Donald Trump, describing that as improper judge-shopping.
That letter prompted a public response from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said in remarks reported by Law & Crime that Brennan’s filing shows “these bad actors are clearly concerned about their liability and want to preserve a two-tiered justice system… No more.”
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“In short, we are seeking assurance that any litigation arising out of this grand jury proceeding will be heard by a judge who is selected by the court’s neutral and impartial processes,” Brennan’s attorneys wrote.
This matters because grand jury oversight by a particular judge can shape key choices in high-stakes federal inquiries, including rulings on subpoenas and testimony. The politics of judicial assignment have become flashpoints in multiple Trump-era legal battles.
The next steps include whether Judge Altonaga entertains Brennan’s request and how prosecutors will respond to assertions of judge-shopping.
It remains unclear if any charges will result from the ongoing grand jury process.
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