The Great Russia Deception all began with John Brennan. It was Brennan who reported "contacts... between Russian officials and persons in the Trump campaign", just as it was Brennan who first referred the case to former FBI Director James Comey. It was also Brennan who "hand-picked" the analysts who stitched together the dodgy Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) (which said that "Putin and the Russian government aspired to help...Trump's election chances.") And it was Brennan who persuaded Harry Reid to petition Comey to open an investigation. At every turn, Brennan was there. He got the ball rolling, he pulled all the right strings, he whipped up a mood of public hysteria, and he excoriated the president at every opportunity. For those who want to know where Russiagate began, look no further than John Brennan.
Here's a bit of what Brennan told the House Intelligence Committee during his testimony in 2017:
"We were uncovering information and intelligence about interactions and contacts between U.S. persons and the Russians. And as we came upon that, we would share it with the bureau."
Brennan's statement clarifies his role in the operation, he was providing the raw intelligence to Comey and Comey was reluctantly following up with surveillance, wiretaps, leaks to the media, and the placing of confidential informants in the Trump campaign. It was a tag-team combo, but Brennan was the primary instigator, there's no doubt about that.
Comment: Others agree. Brennan's role in this fiasco should be rigorously investigated.
See also: Devin Nunes has ample cause to submit a criminal referral for CIA Director John Brennan