The Justice Department's criminal probe of ex-spy chief John Brennan hit a big roadblock after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard withdrew the security clearances of potential witnesses who could have testified against him, four Trump administration officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: The witnesses, officials say, are key to prosecutors' efforts to prove that Brennan inappropriately biased a bombshell 2017 intelligence assessment about Russia favoring Donald Trump, and that he allegedly lied about it to Congress in 2023. • Brennan, a former CIA director, has denied any wrongdoing.

Driving the news: The Brennan investigation hit a snag after Gabbard announced on Aug. 19 that she was revoking the security clearances of 37 "current and former intelligence professionals who

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