Declassified Docs Show 2017 FBI Probe of Trump After Comey Firing
The White House released newly declassified FBI records showing that, in May 2017, the bureau opened a criminal investigation code‑named “Oxferd Comma” after President Donald J. Trump dismissed FBI Director James Comey. The memo stated the probe was based on an “articulable factual basis” that Trump might have been “wittingly or unwittingly” acting as an asset for the Russian Federation, and it sought to determine whether he was directed, controlled, or coordinated with Russia in a way that threatened U.S. national security. The investigation also examined possible obstruction of justice by Trump and unnamed others. FBI officials described the inquiry as the “least intrusive method” to address the perceived security risk. The case was later folded into Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s broader investigation and was closed in early 2019 without finding evidence of collusion. White House Government Transparency Task Force chair John Solomon briefed the public on the documents, noting that agents had already cleared Michael Flynn and questioned the Steele dossier at the time the probe was opened.
Entities: Donald J. Trump · Federal Bureau of Investigation · James Comey · Robert Mueller · Rod Rosenstein · Russian Federation · White House Government Transparency Task Force
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The FBI’s opening memo stated the investigation’s goal was to determine whether President Trump was directed, controlled, or coordinated with the Russian government and whether he obstructed any FBI‑s (b3957259-1476-4700-b05a-09c3ee182f45, 4b0c7d3b-914f-4279-8991-8b3cb62322e5, b3afed0f-6165-4ee3-b5f7-23f7f6373f42)
- [● 2 SOURCES] When Mueller’s investigation concluded, the “Oxferd Comma” line of inquiry was found to have no merit and produced no evidence of collusion or a criminal conspiracy involving the president. (b3957259-1476-4700-b05a-09c3ee182f45, b3afed0f-6165-4ee3-b5f7-23f7f6373f42)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe briefed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on May 16, 2017 about the opening of the “Oxferd Comma” investigation. (4b0c7d3b-914f-4279-8991-8b3cb62322e5, b3afed0f-6165-4ee3-b5f7-23f7f6373f42)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The FBI opened a probe named “Oxferd Comma” on May 16, 2017 to investigate whether President Donald J. Trump acted as a Russian asset after firing James Comey. (b3957259-1476-4700-b05a-09c3ee182f45, 4b0c7d3b-914f-4279-8991-8b3cb62322e5, b3afed0f-6165-4ee3-b5f7-23f7f6373f42)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The “Oxferd Comma” investigation was incorporated into Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s broader probe into Russian interference. (b3957259-1476-4700-b05a-09c3ee182f45, b3afed0f-6165-4ee3-b5f7-23f7f6373f42)