An FBI whistleblower disclosed to the House Judiciary Committee that former FBI Director James Comey ordered an off-the-books operation to infiltrate and spy on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign shortly after Trump’s June 2015 campaign announcement — and well before the controversial Operation Crossfire Hurricane, which investigated rumors of Russian collusion with the Trump presidential campaign.
Investigators later admitted, years after the election, that no Trump-Russian collusion was found.
“The agent personally knew that Mr. Comey ordered an FBI investigation against Mr. Trump and that Mr. Comey personally directed it,” according to the disclosure reviewed by The Washington Times.
Two female FBI undercover agents reportedly infiltrated the campaign at high levels, acting as “honeypots” while traveling with Trump and campaign staff. The operation predated the FBI’s known Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
The whistleblower claims the investigation “had no predicated foundation, so Mr. Comey personally directed the investigation without creating an official case file in Sentinel or any other FBI system.”
Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker called the allegations, if true, a “booming, egregious violation” of rules governing the FBI and their involvement in the 2016 presidential election.
“It’s an unpredicated infiltration of a presidential campaign which is sensitive,” Swecker told The Times. “It’s sensitive to the point where it would have to have been approved by the [attorney general] and would have to be predicated. And in this case, I’m not hearing any predication. It would have to be on the books anyway, regardless.”
The operation allegedly remained secret from Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz during his investigation of FBI misconduct in probing the Trump campaign, and was separate from Horowitz’ 2019 conclusion that no FBI spies had been embedded in the Trump campaign.
The disclosure indicates “institutional bias against Mr. Trump” and further claims that information about the secret investigation was never provided to Trump’s criminal defense counsels.
FBI Deputy Director Dave Bowdich and Washington field office Assistant Director Paul Abbate allegedly helped execute the secret probe, the whistleblower claimed, which ended when a newspaper obtained a photograph of one undercover agent.
The FBI press office allegedly told the newspaper to bury the picture because it showed an informant who would be killed if published.
One undercover agent transferred to the CIA to avoid being a potential witness, while another received a promotion to high-level FBI executive, according to the whistleblower.
Staff were allegedly ordered to never talk about the “honeypot” operation, the whistleblower claimed.
“The FBI employee personally observed one or more employees in the FBI being directed to never discuss the operation with anyone ever again, which included talking with other people involved in the operation,” the disclosure states.
A House Judiciary Committee spokesman confirmed receipt of the whistleblower allegations and said the committee “plans to look into them.”