New whistleblower disclosures have identified a top agent in the New York field office as one of the FBI investigators assigned to infiltrate Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2015 as part of an “off-the-books” operation launched by then-FBI Director James Comey.
According to new protected whistleblower disclosures, the female agent was involved in the attempt to have undercover agents target the Trump team.
The Washington Times reached out to the FBI and to the agent for comment. The FBI has asked for the agent’s identity to be shielded, saying disclosing her name could compromise “the safety of the agent.”
New FBI leadership appointed by Mr. Trump is starting an investigation into the origins of the agency’s plan a decade ago to gain access to Mr. Trump’s run by using two female undercover “honeypot” agents.
The off-the-books probe was revealed by an agency whistleblower in a protected disclosure to the House Judiciary Committee last year and first reported exclusively by The Times in October.
One or more individuals, who were FBI employees at the time of the incidents and were in position to know the information they provided, on Tuesday sent the Senate Judiciary Committee protected disclosures which were reviewed by The Times.
SEE ALSO: FBI looking into Comey’s off-the-books ‘honeypot’ operation targeting 2016 Trump campaign
According to the FBI employees’ protected disclosures to Congress, the female agent in question was the handler of one or more FBI undercover agents who targeted Mr. Trump and his team, and she also participated as one of the undercover agents.
Additionally, the agent and another female FBI employee were described in the disclosures as bureau-certified undercover employees, or those who complete undercover training.
Although one disclosure described the agent’s activities as a “scheme,” not a case or an investigation, she wasn’t running it; Mr. Comey was calling the shots, the disclosure said.
One of the individuals making the protected disclosure said that when Special Counsel John Durham interviewed the whistleblower about the operation, Mr. Durham appeared to have ignored the information when it was provided and was never included in the special counsel’s report.
This individual advised that after interviewing with Mr. Durham, the whistleblower was subject to repeated retaliation by FBI officials and left FBI headquarters.
Those who knew about the “honeypot” operation say that FBI personnel didn’t come forward about it previously out of fear of retaliation by bureau executives loyal to Mr. Comey, former Deputy Director Paul Abbate and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
New FBI Director Kash Patel pledged to overhaul the bureau and remove the politicization that Republican lawmakers say has infected the agency over last several years.
President Trump appointed former Secret Service veteran Dan Bongino recently to be deputy director of the bureau to help Mr. Patel in this task.
“Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice! Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next deputy director of the FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel,” Mr. Trump said.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.