Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said Tuesday on Newsmax that former CIA Director John Brennan should be prosecuted for what he called a deliberate effort to block Donald Trump from exercising the powers of the presidency after his 2016 election victory.
Banks was responding to a criminal referral issued by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to the Justice Department, alleging that Brennan knowingly lied under oath to Congress about the CIA's use of the Steele dossier during the Russia probe.
In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Jordan wrote that "Brennan made numerous willfully and intentionally false statements of material fact" that were directly contradicted by the intelligence record.
"Making false statements before Congress is a crime that undermines the integrity of the Committee's constitutional duty to conduct oversight," he wrote.
Banks told "Rob Schmitt Tonight," "We always knew Brennan was a bad guy. I mean, he was a total partisan.
"He abused the powers of his office in the back of the Obama administration. He tried to block President Trump after President Trump was duly elected."
He called the actions by Brennan and others disgraceful and said "he and so many others should be held accountable," saying they abused "their power."
"And what Brennan and these guys did to derail President Trump, who was elected by the American people, to prevent him from doing what he was elected to do to save the country. It's reprehensible," Banks said.
The Indiana Republican, who served in the House during the early Trump years, said the referral was necessary and long overdue.
He called Brennan's conduct an example of intelligence agencies overstepping their constitutional authority to influence the outcome of presidential governance.
"The American people deserve accountability," Banks said, warning that failure to prosecute misconduct at the highest levels of government would send a dangerous message to future intelligence officials.
The referral comes amid renewed scrutiny over the origins of the Russia collusion narrative, which was later discredited by multiple investigations.
Banks echoed widespread conservative claims that the effort was politically motivated from the outset and aimed at delegitimizing Trump's presidency before it began.
"And I'm glad that it's finally happening," he said.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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