The Justice Department removed Maria Medetis Long, the career federal prosecutor leading the probe into former CIA Director John Brennan, after she resisted demands from top department officials to accelerate charges.

Medetis Long, who serves as chief of the National Security Section in the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, notified attorneys involved in the case on Friday that she was no longer overseeing the investigation. The move came amid mounting pressure from DOJ leadership to bring a case against Brennan, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump.

The investigation centers on allegations that Brennan lied to Congress regarding the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. In the assessment, Brennan and other officials concluded that Russia sought to influence the election in Trump's favor but did not allege collusion by his campaign. Critics, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, have accused Brennan of misleading lawmakers about the assessment's origins, particularly the role of the discredited Steele dossier.

Prosecutors in Miami have issued subpoenas, conducted witness interviews, and reviewed documents as part of the probe, which has been active for months. However, career prosecutors, including Medetis Long, have expressed concerns that the evidence does not support swift indictment, estimating charges could be months away. Top DOJ officials, including Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, deemed this timeline unacceptable during recent meetings with Miami US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones.

The pressure intensified following President Trump's recent firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi, whom he ousted over dissatisfaction with the pace of investigations into his perceived adversaries, such as Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey. Trump has publicly called for prosecutions of Brennan and others involved in the Russia investigation, echoing referrals from Republican lawmakers dating back to 2025.

Brennan's legal team has prepared for the possibility of charges and previously challenged aspects of the probe, including efforts to assign it to a specific judge. The case may ultimately move to federal court in Washington, DC.

Neither the Southern District of Florida nor Medetis Long's office responded to requests for comment. The investigation continues under new leadership, with DOJ officials pushing for a quicker resolution.