Federal Grand Jury Subpoenas Key Figures in 2016 Election Probe

By Newsmax Wires | Sunday, 09 November 2025 08:30 AM EST
A federal grand jury has subpoenaed three former senior intelligence and law enforcement officials linked to the government’s investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by CBS News. The subpoenas were reportedly issued to former CIA Director John Brennan, former FBI counterintelligence official Peter Strzok, and former FBI attorney Lisa Page. Additional subpoenas may follow in the coming days.
The inquiry focuses on aspects of the federal investigation into possible ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. The probe, which has been a source of political contention for years, examines how the intelligence community handled evidence and analysis during the Russia investigation. The subpoenas were issued by the Southern District of Florida and seek documents related to the Obama administration’s 2017 intelligence community assessment, which concluded that Russia conducted a covert influence campaign to aid Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton.
The classified version of the report included a summary of the Steele dossier, a compilation of opposition research funded by Democrats and compiled by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. The dossier contained unverified claims about Trump’s ties to Russia, drawing criticism from Trump and his allies. Multiple official investigations, including the special counsel probe led by Robert Mueller, found no evidence of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives.
The renewed scrutiny of the 2017 assessment comes as senior administration officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, have advocated for the release of previously classified documents related to the 2016 intelligence findings. A July report by Ratcliffe highlighted “tradecraft anomalies” in the preparation of the Obama-era assessment, noting that the inclusion of the Steele dossier summary compromised analytical integrity. The full list of individuals subpoenaed remains undisclosed.