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The White House released newly declassified FBI memos showing that the bureau opened a 2017 counterintelligence investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s firing of James Comey was connected to Russia.
The investigation, codenamed “Oxferd Comma,” opened after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017, according to the White House’s release. It is unclear as to why the word “Oxford” was seemingly misspelled.
The probe was launched due to national security concerns about whether Trump himself was a Russian asset, the documents allege.
Former FBI Director James Comey. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Investigators sought to determine whether Trump 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,” according an FBI memo on May 16, 2017, jump-starting the investigation.
“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,” the same memo added.
Comey was appointed by then-President Barack Obama, serving as FBI Director from 2013 to 2017.
He oversaw the launch of the “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation in July 2016 after receiving information that Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos had suggested Russia possessed damaging information about Hillary Clinton.
Comey also ran an investigation into Clinton about the use of her private email servers and sent a letter to Congress days before the 2016 election saying the FBI had discovered emails that “appear to be pertinent.”
Trump later fired Comey after taking office, with the administration initially citing his handling of the Clinton email investigation.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for additional comment on Wednesday.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.
