FBI Launches Criminal Investigations of John Brennan, James Comey - Fox News

The FBI has launched a criminal investigation of former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey for potential misconduct related to the 2016 Trump-Russia probe, according to a new report from Fox News (Right bias). The story was not widely covered by the left or center.

The Details: According to unnamed Justice Department officials, the FBI is investigating the involvement of Brennan and Comey in the probe, which examined alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. However, the exact scope of these criminal investigations remains unclear. Allegations may be related to potential wrongdoing, including possibly making false statements to Congress. The CIA and the FBI have declined to comment on these investigations.

For Context: Last week, the CIA released a review of a 2016 US intelligence assessment on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to sway the 2016 presidential vote in favor of Donald Trump. While the review criticized the agency’s leadership at the time for rushing the effort, it did not dispute its conclusion.

How the Media Covered It: Fox broke the story, which was subsequently picked up by many outlets on the right. The only outlets from the left and center AllSides found coverage from were Mediaite (Lean Left), The Daily Beast (Left), Straight Arrow News (Center), and Reuters (Center). Fox focused on Comey and Brennan’s potential false statements to Congress. Reuters noted it could not independently verify the existence of the probes. Mediaite republished a portion of Fox’s report.

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