FBI opened probe into whether Trump was Russian agent after he fired James Comey, newly revealed memos show

Nypost · 🇷🇺 public Russia · Aug 05, 2026 · 824 words · By Emily Goodin

Political Weaponization Trump-Russia Investigations FBI Accountability

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What to know about Political Weaponization

FBI opened probe into whether Trump was Russian agent after he fired James Comey, newly revealed memos show See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center86%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

FBI opened probe into whether Trump was Russian agent after he fired James Comey, newly revealed memos show See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google WASHINGTON — The FBI opened an investigation into whether President Trump was “wittingly or unwittingly” acting as a Russian agent when he fired then-Director James Comey in 2017, according to bombshell documents released by…

Common ground

The probe, called “Oxferd Comma,” grew out of Crossfire Hurricane, the bureau’s probe into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with the Kremlin to get the 45th president elected.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Political Weaponization story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, in a May 9, 2017, memo to then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions advocated for Comey’s firing based on his violation of long-standing policy for federal investigations?
How does this story connect Political Weaponization with Trump-Russia Investigations over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/05/us-news/fbi-opened-probe-into-whether-trump-was-ru…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 70% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

schedule Pending 2

verified Verified 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “Then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, in a May 9, 2017, memo to then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions advocated for Comey’s firing based on his violation of long-standing policy for federal investigations”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 2: “Oxferd Comma was closed on April 9, 2019, with no charges against Trump.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the specific closing date of April 9, 2019, for 'Oxferd Comma'.

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Claim 3: “The FBI opened an investigation into whether President Trump was “wittingly or unwittingly” acting as a Russian agent when he fired then-Director James Comey in 2017”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results explicitly state that the FBI opened a probe into whether Trump was acting as a Russian agent following the firing of James Comey.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Steele dossier, also known as the Trump–Russia dossier, is a controversial political opposition research report on the 2016 presidential campaign of Donald Trump compiled by counterintelligence sp…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steele_dossier

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Crossfire Hurricane was the code name for the counterintelligence investigation undertaken by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from July 31, 2016, to May 17, 2017, into links between Donald T…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossfire_Hurricane_(FBI_inves…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald Trump's handling of United States government records, especially those containing classified information, during his tenure as the 45th U.S. president has come under scrutiny. A number of incid…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump's_disclosures_of_…

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Claim 4: “The May 16, 2017, memo opening Oxferd Comma was approved by then-FBI General Counsel James A. Baker and Bill Priestap, assistant director of the bureau’s counterintelligence division.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources explicitly name James A. Baker and Bill Priestap as the officials who approved the May 16, 2017, memo opening Oxferd Comma.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Durham special counsel investigation (aka Report on Matters Related to Intelligence Activities and Investigations Arising Out of the 2016 Presidential Campaigns) began in 2019 when the U.S. Justic…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_special_counsel_investi…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Spygate is a disproven conspiracy theory peddled by 45th U.S. president Donald Trump and his political base on many occasions throughout his first presidential term. It primarily centered around the i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spygate_(conspiracy_theory)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Comey Rule is an American political drama television miniseries written and directed by Billy Ray, based on the book A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by former FBI director James Come…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comey_Rule

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Trump was not under personal investigation for collusion with Russia during the 2016 campaign”

CORROBORATED

Evidence mentions that Trump claimed Comey told him he was not personally under investigation, and other sources note that the FBI had 'debunked or ruled out' that Trump himself was colluding at that point.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald Trump ran a successful campaign for the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He formally announced his campaign on June 16, 2015, at Trump Tower in New York City, initially battling for the Republi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_2016_presidential…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Russian government conducted foreign electoral interference in the 2016 United States elections with the goals of sabotaging the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, boosting the presidential…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_20…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Another probe conducted by former special counsel John Durham also concluded that the opening of the FBI investigation into Russian collusion with Trump was “seriously flawed” and had no basis in evidence, a May 2023 report found.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 7: “the Mueller investigation also found no evidence that Trump or any of his aides coordinated with Russia as part of the 2016 election — but did find the campaign had some contact with individuals with ties to the Kremlin.”

VERIFIED

The Mueller Report's conclusion that it did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, while acknowledging contacts with Russian-linked individuals, is a widely documented fact.

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Claim 8: “the FBI probe was opened after bureau agents had cleared former national security adviser Michael Flynn of collusion accusations and debunked a dossier of claims produced by ex-MI6 spy Christopher Steele.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results indicate that the Oxferd Comma probe was opened after the FBI had already evaluated the Steele dossier and cleared Michael Flynn in certain contexts.

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web search NEUTRAL — OXFERD COMMA – FBI Informs DOJ. The FBI marked the investigation as a “sensitive investigative matter” and declared it was “the least intrusive method to address the serious national security risk pos…
https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/08/fbi-secretly-ope…

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web search NEUTRAL — Despite that, the FBI still opened Oxferd Comma and used it as part of the push to appoint Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Rosenstein, who knew the real reason Comey was fired involved mishandling the…
https://badlandsmedia.tv/fbi-opened-criminal-probe-into-trum…

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web search NEUTRAL — The fake Steele dossier, the early source of many collusion claims, was a Clinton-sponsored document funded through the Clinton campaign and known to the bureau. By early 2017, well before the launch …
https://www.stonecoldtruth.com/p/oxferd-comma-yet-another-ma…

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Claim 9: “then-Deputy Assistant Director Pete Strzok to FBI special counsel Lisa Page in a May 19, 2017, text message [wrote] “I hesitate in part because of my gut sense and concern there’s no big there there,””

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources cite the specific text message from Pete Strzok to Lisa Page on May 19, 2017, using the phrase 'no big there there'.

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web search NEUTRAL — The text message was included in 400 pages of text messages exchanged between Strzok and Page. Lawmakers have started reviewing the trove of documents for evidence of anti-Trump and pro-Clinton bias.
https://dailycaller.com/2018/01/23/in-jaw-dropping-text-pete…

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web search NEUTRAL — Strzok sent the following text to FBI colleague and romantic partner Lisa Page on May 19, 2017, two days after Mueller’s appointment as special counsel and weeks before he joined the Mueller-run probe…
https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2018/01/24/schweizer-strzok-…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 19: Strzok confides to girlfriend Page, “No big there there.” July: Mueller appoints Strzok lead FBI Agent on collusion investigation. August: Mueller removes Strzok after learning of his anti-Tru…
https://www.21cir.com/moon-strzok-no-more-lisa-page-spills-t…

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Claim 10: “the president fired Comey because he wouldn’t publicly state that Trump was not a target of Crossfire Hurricane.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results indicate the probe was opened based on allegations that Trump fired Comey because of the latter's refusal to state Trump was not a target.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — James Comey, the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), was fired by U.S. President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017. Comey had been criticized in 2016 for his handling of the FBI's…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dismissal_of_James_Comey

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — James Brien Comey Jr. (; born December 14, 1960) is an American lawyer who was the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2013 until his termination in May 2017. During the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 11: “The probe, called “Oxferd Comma,” grew out of Crossfire Hurricane”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources identify the investigation as 'Oxferd Comma' and link its origin to the broader context of the Russia probes (Crossfire Hurricane).

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web search NEUTRAL — The FBI investigates a broad range of threats including terrorism, cyber intrusions, public corruption, violent crime, and transnational organized crime.
https://www.fbi.gov/investigate

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web search NEUTRAL — A leading American counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative organization, the FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes. [4][5] The FB…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigatio…

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web search NEUTRAL — FBI is an American police procedural drama television series created by Dick Wolf and Craig Turk that premiered on CBS on September 25, 2018. [1] The show follows the cases and agents of the Federal B…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBI_(TV_series)

verified

Claim 12: “his firing of Comey raised questions about possible obstruction of justice, which triggered an investigation headed by then-special counsel Robert Mueller”

VERIFIED

It is a well-documented fact across Wikipedia and web search that the firing of James Comey led to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate obstruction of justice and Russian interference.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On September 25, 2025, James Comey, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), was indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia on two counts: one charge of making a false stateme…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosecution_of_James_Comey

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robert Swan Mueller III (; August 7, 1944 – March 20, 2026) was an American lawyer who served as the sixth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2001 to 2013. A graduate of Prince…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mueller

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.