The walls are closing in on former CIA Director John Brennan. And this time, the DOJ is done playing nice.

The Justice Department just removed the career prosecutor who had been leading the criminal investigation into Brennan over his alleged role in the Russiagate scandal. Her replacement? Joe DiGenova, an 81-year-old legal bulldog with a Reagan-era pedigree and zero patience for foot-dragging.

Maria Medetis Long, the lead prosecutor on the case, was pulled after reportedly telling her superiors she didn’t believe there was enough evidence to bring charges against the former CIA chief. That apparently didn’t sit well with the people running the show at the Justice Department.

The news broke quickly on social media:

Let that sink in. A career prosecutor was removed from a case because she allegedly resisted moving forward with charges. That tells you something about where the DOJ stands on this investigation. They are not treating it as optional homework.

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The probe stems from a referral by the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, which accused Brennan of lying to Congress about the CIA’s involvement in crafting the infamous 2017 intelligence assessment that claimed Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help then-candidate Donald Trump.

CBS News reported on the personnel shakeup and what it means for the investigation:

Joseph diGenova, a conservative attorney who previously represented President Trump’s 2020 election challenge campaign, has been appointed by the Justice Department to lead an ongoing criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan.

DiGenova will oversee the probe from the Southern District of Florida and serve as counselor to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Career federal prosecutor Maria Medetis Long was removed from the case after raising concerns regarding evidence sufficiency. A DOJ spokesperson characterized the personnel change as “healthy and normal” without providing specifics.

“Healthy and normal.” That’s one way to describe swapping out the lead prosecutor on one of the highest-profile political investigations in years. Meanwhile, Brennan and his legal team have been fighting the probe at every turn, previously writing a letter to the chief judge in Miami begging that the case not end up before Judge Aileen Cannon.

DiGenova is no stranger to Washington knife fights. The former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia under President Reagan has been a fixture in conservative legal circles for decades. He’s tangled with the intelligence community before and has never been shy about saying what he thinks.

News of his appointment sent a clear signal about the direction of this investigation:

This isn’t the first time the DOJ has shaken up a major political investigation under the Trump administration. A similar situation played out in the Eastern District of Virginia, where a top prosecutor was replaced after questioning the strength of the case against former FBI Director James Comey.

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CNN provided additional details on what led to the prosecutor’s ouster:

The career prosecutors and investigators handling the case have for months pushed back against demands to quickly bring charges against Brennan, and have signaled to Justice Department officials they don’t believe the case is a strong one.

DOJ officials met with U.S. Attorney Quiñones and others in his office to discuss the investigation’s progress, and Quiñones told the officials that charges could still be months away, which top Justice officials told him was not acceptable.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has intensified efforts to satisfy the president’s wishes following the firing of former Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The message from the Trump DOJ is loud and clear: accountability for the Russiagate era is not negotiable, and prosecutors who aren’t willing to pursue it will be replaced by those who are. Whether Brennan ultimately faces charges remains to be seen, but one thing is certain. The investigation just got a whole lot more serious.

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