In May 2017, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) secretly opened a criminal investigation into sitting President Donald Trump. The grounds for the investigation were suspicions that the head of state might have been acting in the interests of Russia. This is evidenced by previously classified documents released by the White House.
The Trigger for the Investigation: The Firing of James Comey
According to the published materials, the investigation, codenamed 'Oxford Comma', was initiated shortly after the resignation of FBI Director James Comey. A document dated May 16, 2017, states that law enforcement agencies began a full-scale investigation based on reasonable suspicion that Trump may have consciously or unconsciously acted in the interests of the Government of the Russian Federation.
Investigators suspected that such actions could pose a threat to the national security of the United States or violate federal legislation. However, the materials indicate that at that time, the FBI had no confirmation of a conspiracy between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign team.
Internal Contradictions within the FBI
It is important to note that the assumption that became the basis for the investigation was not supported by a significant portion of FBI agents. Internal documents indicate disagreements within the agency regarding the expediency of opening a case against a sitting president without direct evidence.
Contradictory Data
There is a discrepancy in the assessment of the justification for the investigation. On the one hand, the FBI opened the 'Oxford Comma' case in May 2017, citing reasonable suspicion of Trump acting in the interests of the Russian Federation. On the other hand, in a report by Special Counsel John Durham, published by the US Department of Justice in 2023, it was concluded that the FBI did not have sufficient grounds even to open the initial Crossfire Hurricane investigation regarding alleged ties between Trump's campaign and Russia. This creates legal and factual uncertainty regarding the criteria by which the FBI made decisions to start investigations against high-ranking officials.
Investigation Results
The 'Oxford Comma' case was closed on April 9, 2019. The investigation found no evidence that Trump was connected to Russia or acted in its interests. Thus, the investigation did not lead to any charges or legal consequences for the President.
Context and Additional Facts
In addition to the 'Oxford Comma' case, sources mention a conflict between Trump and Hegseth regarding a missile shortage in the US, although the details of this incident are not disclosed. It is also noted that the FBI sharply changed course and began cooperating with Russia and China — however, this thesis requires further verification and has no confirmation in the released documents.
The release of these documents was an important step in understanding the internal workings of the FBI and its interaction with the country's top leadership during a period of political tension.
