[Lauren]

NEW CLAIMS FROM A WHISTLEBLOWER REVEAL THAT THE FBI MAY HAVE LAUNCHED A COVERT INVESTIGATION TARGETING DONALD TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN AS EARLY AS 2015, WELL BEFORE THE OFFICIAL RUSSIA INVESTIGATION. 

THE WASHINGTON TIMES REPORTS THE WHISTLEBLOWER DISCLOSURE, NOW UNDER REVIEW BY THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, CLAIMS THE FBI TARGETED DONALD TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE ANNOUNCED HIS CANDIDACY. THE ALLEGATIONS SUGGEST THAT THEN-FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY DIRECTED UNDERCOVER AGENTS TO INFILTRATE TRUMP’S TEAM AND REPORT BACK WITHOUT PROPER OVERSIGHT. THE WHISTLEBLOWER, AN FBI AGENT INVOLVED IN THE PROBE, SAYS FORMER FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY ORDERED A SECRET, OFF-THE-BOOKS INVESTIGATION TO GATHER INFORMATION ON TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN, WITH NO CLEAR CRIME AS A BASIS.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER REPORT DESCRIBES HOW TWO FEMALE UNDERCOVER AGENTS INFILTRATED TRUMP’S TEAM, ALLEGEDLY ACTING AS ‘HONEYPOTS’…CLOSE CONTACTS EMBEDDED IN THE CAMPAIGN TO COLLECT INFORMATION. THIS EARLY OPERATION, THE WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS, WAS SEPARATE FROM THE CROSSFIRE HURRICANE PROBE THAT LOOKED INTO POSSIBLE RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE.

THE WHISTLEBLOWER FURTHER CLAIMS THAT TOP FBI OFFICIALS WERE INVOLVED IN OVERSEEING THE OPERATION, BUT THE EFFORT WAS HIDDEN FROM JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OVERSIGHT.

ONE REPORTED TARGET OF THIS COVERT EFFORT WAS TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS. PAPADOPOULOS LATER PLED GUILTY TO LYING TO THE FBI BUT DENIED THAT THE CAMPAIGN HAD COORDINATED WITH RUSSIAN HACKERS. THE WHISTLEBLOWER CLAIMS THESE DENIALS WERE WITHHELD FROM KEY SURVEILLANCE APPLICATIONS.

ACCORDING TO THE WHISTLEBLOWER, THE COVERT PROBE WAS ULTIMATELY SHUT DOWN WHEN NEWS OUTLETS OBTAINED THE AGENT’S PHOTOGRAPH, BUT THOSE INVOLVED WERE WARNED NEVER TO DISCUSS THE OPERATION, EVEN AMONG THEMSELVES.

FORMER FBI PERSONNEL CALLED THESE ALLEGATIONS A MAJOR VIOLATION OF PROTOCOL, IF TRUE… AND THAT ANY OPERATION TARGETING A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN WOULD REQUIRE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CLEARANCE, WITH FULL DOCUMENTATION THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ABSENT IN THIS CASE.

QUESTIONS CONTINUE TO GROW ABOUT THE FBI’S HANDLING OF INVESTIGATIONS SURROUNDING THE 2016 ELECTION. THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE’s INVESTIGATION IS EXPECTED TO PROCEED IN THE COMING WEEKS, POTENTIALLY SHEDDING MORE LIGHT ON THIS OPERATION.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

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