White House declassifies info on secret FBI probe into whether Trump fired Comey at Russia's behest, official says
The White House has declassified information regarding a 2017 FBI investigation into whether President Trump acted as a Russian asset after firing James Comey. Administration officials stated the probe, known as 'Oxferd Comma,' was eventually folded into the Mueller investigation and found to have no merit.
Why it matters
This disclosure provides further insight into the origins and scope of the controversial investigations into the Trump administration's ties to Russia.
The White House on Wednesday released declassified information saying the FBI opened an investigation into whether President Trump was acting as an asset for Russia when he fired FBI Director James Comey, a theory an administration official said was not backed up by evidence.The official said the investigation, known as Oxferd Comma, was a subcomponent of Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI probe into potential collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Russian government — an investigation that has long drawn Mr. Trump's ire. The predicate of Oxferd Comma was the newly elected president's decision to fire Comey in 2017.The case was marked sensitive, which is generally done to keep a case off the books from other agents, the official said. The agents who opened the case said they believe it was going to be the least intrusive method to address a serious national security risk.
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