DOJ Removes Lead Miami Prosecutor from John Brennan Russiagate Probe After She Resisted Pressure to Bring Charges
Maria Medetis Long, head of the National Security Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (Miami), notified attorneys representing individuals involved in the probe on April 17, 2026, that she was no longer handling the matter.
Tommy Flynn
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has removed the lead career prosecutor overseeing the criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan after she resisted pressure to quickly file charges and questioned the strength of the case.
Maria Medetis Long, head of the National Security Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (Miami), notified attorneys representing individuals involved in the probe on April 17, 2026, that she was no longer handling the matter.
Long had been leading the grand jury investigation in South Florida into whether Brennan made false statements to Congress during a May 2023 interview about the intelligence community’s 2017 assessment of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The probe stems from criminal referrals by CIA Director John Ratcliffe in summer 2025 and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, who alleged Brennan knowingly misled lawmakers about the origins and handling of the Russia collusion narrative.
Sources familiar with the matter told multiple outlets that Long expressed doubts internally about the viability of charges and had been slow-walking the case amid demands from the Trump administration for faster action against key figures tied to what supporters call the Russia hoax. U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, who oversees the Southern District of Florida office, is directing the broader inquiry.
The removal comes as the DOJ continues its review of potential misconduct in the launch of the 2016 Russia investigation, long a priority for President Trump and Republicans seeking accountability for the years-long probe that produced no evidence of criminal collusion.
No charges have been filed against Brennan, a vocal Trump critic throughout his tenure as CIA Director under President Obama. The Southern District of Florida grand jury continues its work under new leadership. The DOJ has not publicly commented on the reassignment.
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