Lead prosecutor on probe into John Brennan is removed from case, sources say

Politics Lead prosecutor on probe into ex-CIA Director John Brennan is removed from case, sources say By Sarah N. Lynch, Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch, Daniel Klaidman Daniel Klaidman Daniel Klaidman, an investigative reporter based in New York, is the former editor-in-chief of Yahoo News and former managing editor of Newsweek. He has over two decades of experience covering politics, foreign affairs, national security and law. Read Full Bio Daniel Klaidman April 17, 2026 / 4:02 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The lead career federal prosecutor in Miami who was overseeing a criminal investigation into whether former CIA Director John Brennan lied to Congress is no longer assigned to the case, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News on Friday.Maria Medetis Long, who is the head of the national security section for the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of Florida, informed lawyers who have clients involved in the matter late this week that she was off the case, several of them confirmed. Medetis Long did not explain the reason for her removal, though a source familiar with the matter told CBS it came about after she informed U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones that she did not believe there was not enough to buildmake a case.CNN first reported that she has been removed from the case, after resisting pressure to quickly bring charges against Brennan.A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed the personnel shift, and said that Medetis Long remains employed by the Justice Department."As a matter of routine practice, attorneys are moved around on cases so offices can most effectively allocate resources," a department spokesperson said. "It is completely healthy and normal to change members of legal teams." Medetis Long referred all questions to a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office...