On January 11, 2019, amid the height of Russiagate discussions, the New York Times reported that the FBI had opened an investigation to determine if President Donald Trump was secretly working for Russia. This investigation followed Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey in May 2017. The initial public knowledge about the FBI's investigation of links between the Trump campaign and Russia came from Comey's congressional testimony in March 2017. This prior probe, known as Crossfire Hurricane, had started in July 2016 and involved figures like George Papadopoulos and Carter Page.
The revelation of the second investigation, which looked into whether Trump was acting on behalf of Russia, was notable because it suggested a serious accusation against a sitting president. Journalist Aaron Maté highlighted the unusual nature of this investigation, questioning what evidence the FBI had to justify such a serious inquiry. If the FBI had strong evidence, it would be damaging to Trump; if not, it raised significant concerns about the FBI's actions.
The 2019 Times article implied that the FBI probe partly aimed to investigate if Trump's firing of Comey constituted obstruction of justice. However, specific details surrounding the investigation's initiation were scarce, and it became less clear once it merged with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. When John Durham produced his report on this matter, he briefly mentioned the second investigation but noted it was outside his scope of consideration.
Interest in the second FBI investigation was reignited in December 2022 when Aaron and RealClear Investigations filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the original document detailing the reasons for opening this investigation. It took the FBI over two years to respond, ultimately providing a heavily redacted six-page document. Despite the redactions, it contained information that could intrigue those entering office regarding the origins of the Russiagate controversy. The released memo indicated that the FBI opened the investigation based on an “articulable factual basis” suggesting Trump might have been involved in activities benefiting the Russian government, which could violate federal law or represent national security threats.
The wording raised eyebrows, particularly the idea of someone being "unwittingly" involved in actions that might breach criminal law. Analysts questioned how one could be criminally involved without intent. As Maté pointed out, this reflects a broader issue with contemporary national security probes that may operate outside traditional legal boundaries.
McCabe, who contributed to CNN, stated in 2019 that Trump's words prompted the investigation but did not respond to Maté's inquiry for further comment. The situation where the FBI investigated a presidential candidate with minimal justification, persisted despite lack of evidence, and later probed a sitting president post-firing reflects significant political interference by a law enforcement agency. It raises the question of what information remains redacted, with hopes that clarity will emerge soon regarding the origins of this investigation.
https://www.racket.news/p/why-is-russiagates-origin-story-redacted
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