Career Prosecutor Removed From Investigation Into Former CIA Director John Brennan

Maria Medetis Long, the career federal prosecutor leading the investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, was removed from the case on Friday, April 17, 2026. Long, the chief of the national security division in the Southern District of Florida, notified attorneys involved in the matter that she was no longer handling the probe. The move comes amid conflicting reports regarding the reason for her departure from the investigation.

The Details

The removal of Medetis Long has sparked immediate contradiction between reporting and official government statements. CNN reports that Long was sidelined after resisting pressure to expedite charges against Brennan, a vocal critic of President Trump. In contrast, the Justice Department characterized the change as a routine administrative move. A DOJ spokesperson stated that attorneys are frequently moved across cases to effectively allocate resources, describing such changes as 'completely healthy and normal.'

Filling the void is Christopher-James DeLorenz, a former top aide to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. DeLorenz recently relocated from DOJ headquarters in Washington to the Southern District of Florida to begin working on the Brennan probe. DeLorenz has a history of alignment with the current administration's legal preferences, having previously served as a law clerk for US District Judge Aileen Cannon. Judge Cannon famously dismissed the classified documents prosecution against Trump during the Biden administration after ruling the special counsel's appointment was unconstitutional.

Despite the leadership change, the momentum of the investigation appears to be accelerating. US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, a Trump appointee leading the Southern District of Florida, has informed DOJ officials that an indictment in the Brennan case may be imminent. The government has already issued subpoenas to Brennan and other associates to gather information regarding the intelligence community's assessments of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Medetis Long's record as a prosecutor includes a high-profile success for the administration; she helped lead the successful prosecution of Ryan Wesley Routh, who attempted to assassinate President Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club in 2024. Her removal from the Brennan case follows a pattern of DOJ volatility, including the firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 1, 2026, due to President Trump's dissatisfaction with the pace of prosecutions against political adversaries.

Context

The investigation into John Brennan centers on the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment. This report concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to aid Donald Trump—a finding that Trump and his close allies have consistently disputed. Brennan, who served as CIA Director from 2013 to 2017 under President Obama, has since become one of the most prominent public critics of the Trump administration.

The current DOJ leadership is headed by Todd Blanche, who is serving as Acting Attorney General. Blanche, formerly Trump's personal defense attorney during his hush-money trial, now concentrates significant authority by serving as both Acting Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General. This consolidation follows the dismissal of confirmed AG Pam Bondi.

Precedents for the removal of career prosecutors over ideological or strategic disagreements exist. Last year, career prosecutors in Virginia were fired from the DOJ after expressing reservations about prosecuting New York Attorney General Letitia James, suggesting a trend of removing officials who hesitate to pursue specific high-profile targets.

What's Next

The legal focus now shifts to the timing and nature of a potential indictment. With Jason Reding Quiñones signaling that charges may be coming soon, the transition to Christopher-James DeLorenz is likely intended to ensure the prosecution aligns with the administration's objectives.

Simultaneously, the role of Todd Blanche remains a point of contention. While some sources suggest Blanche actively lobbied for the permanent Attorney General position, DOJ spokesperson Emily Covington has denied that he pitched himself to the president. Regardless of the internal politics, Trump has reportedly described Blanche's current tenure as an 'audition' for the permanent role.

The outcome of the Brennan case will likely serve as a bellwether for how the administration handles the prosecution of former intelligence officials and the legal interpretation of the 2017 intelligence assessments.