FBI Secretly Opened Probe Alleging Trump Fired Comey Because He Was a Russian Asset, Declassified Memos Show

The White House
August 5, 2026

By John Solomon

The FBI opened a criminal probe specifically targeting Donald Trump in May 2017, alleging the newly elected president may have been acting as a Russian asset when he fired then-Director James Comey even though the bureau’s own evidence overwhelmingly showed at the time there was no collusion with the Kremlin.

Internal FBI memos newly declassified by the White House show the investigation – codenamed Oxferd Comma – was launched in the immediate aftermath of Comey’s May 9, 2017 firing and was predicated on an allegation that previously released records show the bureau’s own agents had mostly dismissed.

“The FBI is opening a full investigation based on an articulable factual basis that reasonably indicates that President Donald J. Trump may be or has been, wittingly or unwittingly, involved in activities for or on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation which may constitute violations of federal criminal law or threats to the national security of the United States,” the electronic communication opening the probe on May 16, 2017 stated.

“The goal of the investigation is to determine if President Trump is or was directed by, controlled by, and/or coordinated activities with, the Russian Federation in a manner constituting a threat to the national security of the United States and/or a violation of federal criminal statutes,” it added. “In addition, this investigation will also seek to determine whether President Trump and others yet to be named obstructed and/or conspiracy to obstruct any associated FBI investigation.”

OXFERD COMMA – Opening EC

The memo, written by the FBI’s counterintelligence division and approved by then-FBI General Counsel James Baker and then-Assistant Director for Counterintelligence William Priestap, made clear the concerns about Russian influence and obstruction included Comey’s firing, in part because of the public explanations Trump gave for it.

“This alternative explanation can be reasonably read to imply that the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation was a factor in President Trump’s decision to terminate Comey,” the memo stated.

Both the Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein were advised that the probe had been launched, the memos show.

Watch live: ACLU of Minnesota to announce "new class action against the ...

Litigious James an AI Overview

AI Overview

"Litigious James" refers to New York Attorney General Letitia James, known for her extensive use of lawsuits to challenge policies and prosecute individuals, particularly Donald Trump. She has recently been indicted on federal charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution related to a mortgage for her niece. James denies wrongdoing and asserts the indictment is a politically motivated attack stemming from her lawsuit against Trump and his company.

●Background: 

Letitia James has a history of being a litigious figure, suing the Trump administration multiple times during its first term on issues like immigration and the environment. She is also well-known for successfully suing the Trump Organization for business fraud.

●Recent Indictment:

• A federal grand jury in Virginia indicted her on two felony charges: bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution.
• The charges stem from a 2020 mortgage for her niece's home.
• James denies any wrongdoing, stating she made an error while filling out a form and that the charges are baseless.

●Claim of Political Motivation:

• James claims the indictment is a result of political retribution from Donald Trump, who she notes had publicly called for her to be charged.
• She points to the timing of the indictment shortly after her office successfully brought a civil fraud case against him, resulting in a significant penalty against him and his company, notes CNBC.

Source: Google AI

Image Source: Letitia James at United Palace, NY, NY on Oct 13, 2025 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHNjd_X8Afw

Gorsuch and Kavanaugh warn lower court judges in Trump cases

By
John Fritze
Updated 11 hr ago

Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh during the ...

In Donald Trump’s long-running feud with federal judges, the president has found some support in an unlikely place: the nation’s highest court.

A growing sense of frustration with some lower courts — articulated in terms that at times sound similar to Trump’s own rhetoric — has crept into a series of opinions this summer from the Supreme Court’s conservative justices as they juggle a flood of emergency cases dealing with Trump’s second term.

“Lower court judges may sometimes disagree with this court’s decisions, but they are never free to defy them,” Justice Neil Gorsuch admonished in an opinion last week tied to the court’s decision to allow Trump to cancel nearly $800 million in research grants.

The rebuke, which was joined by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, flipped the narrative that it is Trump who has pushed legal boundaries with his flurry of executive orders and support for impeaching judges who rule against him. A wave of legal conservatives took to social media to tout Gorsuch’s warning.

“This is now the third time in a matter of weeks this court has had to intercede in a case ‘squarely controlled’ by one of its precedents,” wrote Gorsuch, who was Trump’s first nominee to the high court. (Kavanaugh was Trump’s second.) “When this court issues a decision, it constitutes a precedent that commands respect in lower courts.”

Other conservatives have been just as harsh this year. Justice Samuel Alito in March accused a federal judge in another case involving a Trump policy as committing an “act of judicial hubris” and “self-aggrandizement of its jurisdiction.”

The Supreme Court has been consistently siding with Trump on the emergency docket for months, including in high-profile cases dealing with immigration, spending and the leadership of independent agencies. And Trump has won even in cases in which there are serious arguments that his administration defied a lower court, said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at Georgetown University Law Center.

Was classified information leaked to smear Trump?

Criminal investigation into former FBI, CIA heads James Comey and John B...

 
Criminal investigation into former FBI, CIA heads James Comey and John Brennan draws mixed reactions

CBS6 Albany

Jul 15, 2025 

A new report claimed the Department of Justice might appoint a special prosecutor for a possible criminal grand conspiracy case as the investigation continues into former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan. 

FBI Director Kash Patel recently called the Russian collusion hoax "the biggest political criminal scheme ever perpetrated by portions of the FBI leadership and other elements of the intelligence community.”

Former FBI Special Agent in Charge Jody Weis said he "couldn’t be happier" the investigation into Comey and Brennan was launched. 

Both Brennan and Comey are now under fire for allegedly making false statements to Congress about the investigation and the decision to examine claims in a Steele dossier from a former British spy. The dossier alleged coordination between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. 

Read more: https://cbs6albany.com/news/nation-wo...

Biden pardons his family in final minutes in office

Key Points

• President Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons for several family members, citing concerns that they will be targeted by “baseless and politically motivated investigations.”
• The White House announced the pardons just minutes before President-elect Donald Trump entered the Capitol rotunda to be sworn in as the next commander in chief.
• Biden pardoned his brother, James Biden; James’ wife, Sara Jones Biden; his younger sister, Valerie Biden Owens; Owens’ husband, John Owens; and his other brother, Francis Biden.

James Biden and Valerie Biden Owens arrive at the federal court for Hunter Biden’s trial on criminal gun charges, in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., June 10, 2024.

Hannah Beier | Reuters

Published Mon, Jan 20 202511:43 AM EST

Updated An Hour Ago

Kevin Breuninger@KevinWilliamB

President Joe Biden on Monday issued preemptive pardons for three of his siblings and two of their spouses, citing concerns that they will be targeted by “baseless and politically motivated investigations.”

The White House announced the pardons just minutes before President-elect Donald Trump entered the Capitol Rotunda to be sworn in as the next commander in chief.

Earlier Monday, Biden preemptively pardoned a number of other figures — including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley and members of Congress who investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — on similar grounds.

Biden’s final batch of pardons included his brother, James Biden; James’ wife, Sara Jones Biden; his younger sister, Valerie Biden Owens; Owens’ husband, John Owens; and his other brother, Francis Biden.

“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a press release.

He also pardoned Gerald Lundergan, the former chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party, and former South Carolina Councilman Ernest Cromartie. The departing president also commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975.

Biden in early December issued a pardon for his son Hunter Biden, reversing his prior insistence that would not do so.

Hunter was convicted last year in a federal criminal gun trial, and he had pleaded guilty to charges in a separate federal case related to tax crimes.

James Biden was interviewed last year by the House Oversight and Judiciary committees as part of their impeachment probe of President Biden.

In Monday’s press release, Biden said, “My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me—the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end.”

“I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics,” he said.

“But baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage their reputations and finances.”

“That is why I am exercising my power under the Constitution to pardon James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens, and Francis W. Biden,” Biden said.

Source

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The Tucker Carlson Encounter: J. Michael Waller

 

 

The Tucker Carlson Encounter: J. Michael Waller 

 Qanon76 

In the summer of 2020, a group called The Transition Integrity Project met with a goal of determining the very worst outcome of the upcoming presidential election. Their final assessment, printed in the Washington Post, said a Donald Trump victory would be the end of the country. Their message was clear: Don't dare vote for Trump. TNC- J. Michael Waller "If Jan 6 is going to be your biggest case, why would you ignore the attempted pipe bombings on Capitol Hill that day."