A whistleblower claimed then-FBI Director James Comey created a secret operation to target Donald Trump soon after he announced his campaign in June 2015, more than a year before the bureau officially launched its investigation regarding alleged Russian collusion, the Washington Times reported Tuesday.
The allegations included a claim that two female FBI undercover agents infiltrated Trump's 2016 campaign at high levels and were directed to act as "honeypots" while traveling with the candidate and his campaign staff. They eventually targeted adviser George Papadopoulos, according to the whistleblower.
Not only that, the undercover operation was hidden from Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who investigated misconduct in the bureau's Russia investigation of the Trump campaign.
A House Judiciary Committee spokesman confirmed to Newsmax the panel received the whistleblower's allegations and "plans to look into them."
If the alleged date is accurate, the clandestine operation predates Crossfire Hurricane, which began in July 2016 to investigate potential contacts between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia.
Newsmax reached out to Comey for comment at the company that sets up speaking engagements for the former FBI director.
The Washington Times reported the Judiciary Committee received the accusations in a protected disclosure from the whistleblower, an FBI agent involved in the investigation.
The Times added it reviewed the disclosure, in which the whistleblower said they "personally knew" Comey ordered an FBI investigation against Trump and Comey "personally directed it."
Then-Deputy Director Dave Bowdich and Paul Abbate, at the time assistant director in charge of the Washington, D.C., field office, also were involved in executing the secret investigation, according to the disclosure.
The clandestine operation appeared to be fishing for incriminating evidence against Trump, as opposed to focusing on a specific crime.
According to the whistleblower, "it does not appear that any information about this investigation was turned over to Trump's criminal defense counsels."
Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker told the Times the report is a "booming, egregious violation" of the rules governing the attorney general, the Department of Justice and FBI.
"It's an unpredicated infiltration of a presidential campaign which is sensitive," Swecker said. "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 whistleblower said Comey's off-the-books investigation ended because a newspaper was about to publish a photo of one of the undercover agents.
The disclosure also said one of the undercover "honeypots" agreed to be transferred to the CIA so she would not be available as a potential witness, and another FBI employee was rewarded for her activities with a promotion and now is a high-level FBI executive, the Times reported.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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