White House Calls for Accountability Over Obama-Era Intel Officials’ Role in 2016 Russia Probe

The White House is calling for former intelligence officials, including former CIA Director John Brennan, to be held accountable for their roles in promoting allegations of former President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia during the 2016 election.

“President Trump was right — again,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Those who engaged in this political scandal must be held accountable for the fraud they committed against President Trump and the lies they told to the American people.”

Leavitt’s remarks follow the release of a newly declassified “lessons-learned” review authorized by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The report criticizes the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) from the CIA, FBI, and NSA that examined Russian interference in the 2016 election, citing “procedural anomalies” and deviations from established intelligence standards.

The review specifically faults the decision to include the now-discredited Steele dossier in the ICA. It states that doing so violated core principles of intelligence tradecraft and ultimately weakened the credibility of a key judgment within the assessment.

Compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, the dossier was opposition research for the 2016 campaign and included unverified and salacious claims about Trump’s alleged ties to Russia—claims Trump has consistently denied.

According to the review, a CIA deputy director for analysis warned in a December 2016 email that incorporating the Steele dossier would undermine the credibility of the entire report. Despite these concerns, the review states Brennan favored maintaining narrative consistency over analytical rigor and dismissed key objections from experienced intelligence officials. He later confirmed in writing that he supported including the information.

Brennan, who served as CIA director under President Obama from 2013 to 2017, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The review also highlights a message Brennan sent to intelligence analysts a day before their sole session coordinating on the ICA. He noted meeting with then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and then-FBI Director James Comey and stated there was “strong consensus” on the scope and intent of Russian interference in the election.

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