FBI Investigated Trump as Potential Russian Asset After Comey Firing
WHO:
CBS News - An unnamed administration official stated that the allegation of President Trump acting as a Russian asset is groundless.
NY Post - President Trump, James Comey, the FBI, Special Counsel Robert Mueller
Alternet - An unnamed administration official, the Trump campaign, Vladimir Putin
WHAT:
CBS News - The investigation known as Oxferd Comma was eventually fused with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's wider investigation into Trump.
NY Post - The FBI opened an investigation into whether President Trump was “wittingly or unwittingly” acting as a Russian agent.
Alternet - The investigation, known as Oxferd Comma, was a subcomponent of Crossfire Hurricane, which examined potential collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Russian government.
Alternet - The investigation was found to "not have merit" when it ended.
Alternet - Mueller's report claimed that Trump was frustrated with Comey for refusing to publicly state that the president was not personally under investigation for potential ties to Russia.
WHERE:
NY Post - Washington, D.C.
WHEN:
Alternet - The investigation was initiated after President Trump fired James Comey in 2017.
WHY:
CBS News - The official claimed that almost everything in the FBI's possession at that point had debunked or ruled out that Trump or his campaign was colluding with Russia.
Alternet - The investigation was prompted by President Trump's decision to fire Comey, which was claimed to be over the mishandling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails.
HOW:
CBS News - The case was marked sensitive to keep it off the books from other agents, according to the administration official.
Alternet - The agents who opened the case believed it was the least intrusive method to address a serious national security risk.
(UPDATED August 5, 2026 20:34 UTC)
An unnamed administration official has stated that the allegation of President Trump acting as a Russian asset is groundless. The investigation known as Oxferd Comma was eventually merged with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's broader inquiry into Trump, with the official claiming that nearly all evidence in the FBI's possession had debunked any notion of collusion between Trump or his campaign and Russia. Additionally, the case was marked as sensitive to keep it off the books from other agents, according to the official.
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(UPDATED August 5, 2026 18:30 UTC)
The FBI opened an investigation into whether President Trump was acting as a Russian agent, either wittingly or unwittingly, following his decision to fire James Comey in 2017. Known as Oxferd Comma, this investigation was a part of the broader Crossfire Hurricane inquiry into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, but it ultimately concluded that there was "not have merit." Mueller's report indicated that Trump was frustrated with Comey for not publicly stating that he was not personally under investigation regarding ties to Russia.