Current FBI leadership is probing claims that the agency ran an unauthorized operation to infiltrate Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign using two female undercover agents. This investigation, allegedly ordered by then-FBI Director James Comey in 2015, was revealed by a bureau whistleblower to the House Judiciary Committee and first reported by The Washington Times last October.
According to the whistleblower’s protected disclosure, Mr. Comey personally directed an off-the-books investigation targeting Mr. Trump shortly after he announced his candidacy in June 2015. Two female FBI employees allegedly infiltrated the campaign at high levels and were instructed to act as “honeypots” — intelligence terminology for operatives who use romantic or sexual interest to gather information — while traveling with Mr. Trump and campaign staff.
This operation reportedly operated separately from the better-known Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Russian collusion allegations. The whistleblower claims the earlier investigation lacked predication and was conducted without creating official case files in FBI systems, potentially concealing it from Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz during his review of FBI misconduct.
The Washington Times reports that current FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino are now searching for the former undercover employees. The FBI has declined to comment on these allegations.
The whistleblower disclosure suggests the operation ended when a major newspaper obtained a photograph of one undercover agent. FBI officials reportedly prevented publication by falsely claiming the person was an informant whose life would be endangered by exposure.
Following the operation, one undercover agent was allegedly transferred to the CIA, potentially removing her as a potential witness. The other reportedly received a promotion and now holds a senior position in a major FBI field office.
The disclosure also claims FBI employees involved were instructed never to discuss the operation, which the whistleblower interpreted as a threat. The allegations, if substantiated, could indicate institutional bias against Mr. Trump within the FBI during his first presidential campaign.
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.