The FBI has launched criminal probes into former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI director James Comey.
"We do not comment on ongoing investigations," a Justice Department spokesman told Newsmax in response to an inquiry about the criminal investigation into Brennan and Comey.
The probes are looking into alleged wrongdoing related to past government investigations about claims of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections in which President Donald Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to initial reports.
The Washington Times, citing unidentified sources, also confirmed existence of the probe.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe sent evidence of possible wrongdoing by Brennan to FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate for potential prosecution.
Brennan and Comey are "disgraceful individuals" who "turned against our Constitution and our country, and I'm sure they did, in fact, lie to Congress, and it's up to the Department of Justice to investigate that and to prosecute them if they did," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a televised interview Tuesday night.
The Department of Justice has told Newsmax that it "cannot confirm or deny the existence of any potential investigation."
The scope of the criminal investigations into Brennan and Comey was unclear.
A criminal investigation does not necessarily result in charges.
Initial reports cited Justice Department sources but did not specify the number of sources.
A CIA review released last week found violations of intelligence tradecraft standards in the production of a U.S. intelligence assessment that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to sway the 2016 presidential vote to Trump.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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