{"id":2641076,"date":"2026-08-05T15:59:55","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T19:59:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-declassifies-files-on-fbis-oxferd-comma-investigation-of-trump\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T16:03:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T20:03:57","slug":"white-house-declassifies-files-on-fbis-oxferd-comma-investigation-of-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-declassifies-files-on-fbis-oxferd-comma-investigation-of-trump\/","title":{"rendered":"White House declassifies files on FBI\u2019s &#8216;Oxferd Comma&#8217; investigation of Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhite-house-declassifies-files-on-fbis-oxferd-comma-investigation-of-trump%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2641076&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Declassified documents released by the White House reveal that in 2017,the FBI investigated whether President Donald Trump was acting on behalf of Russia when he fired FBI Director James comey. This investigation, called &#8220;Oxferd Comma,&#8221; was part of the broader Russia-trump campaign inquiry known as crossfire Hurricane. according to the documents, the FBI initially believed Trump\u2019s dismissal of Comey was related to his handling of the Clinton email investigation, but later evidence suggested significant contradictions to that theory. The investigation was classified as sensitive and later incorporated into Robert Mueller\u2019s special counsel probe, which ultimately found no evidence of conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, and did not establish that Trump acted as a Russian agent. The documents also highlight internal doubts within the FBI, including texts and concerns from agents who questioned the investigation\u2019s basis. The release has renewed scrutiny of key figures like Rod Rosenstein and comey, and may influence ongoing investigations, including one led by special U.S. Attorney Joe diGenova. Former officials and critics continue to question the legitimacy and conduct of the early Russia investigations,with some suggesting possible misconduct and political bias.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fbi\/\">FBI<\/a> in 2017 investigated whether President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a> was acting on behalf of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\/\">Russia<\/a> when he fired then-FBI Director <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-comey\/\">James Comey<\/a>, according to declassified documents released by the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The investigation, code-named \u201cOxferd Comma,\u201d was opened as a subcomponent of Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI\u2019s broader inquiry into potential ties between Trump\u2019s 2016 campaign and the Russian government. John Solomon, founder and editor-in-chief of <em>Just the News<\/em>, briefed the public on Wednesday morning on the documents and previewed their release in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/releases\/2026\/08\/fbi-secretly-opened-probe-alleging-trump-fired-comey-because-he-was-a-russian-asset-declassified-memos-show\/\">an article he authored and published<\/a> on the White House\u2019s webpage.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4676005\/oxferd-comma-investigation-declassified-john-solomon-briefing\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>\u2018Oxferd Comma\u2019 investigation being declassified by White House, with John Solomon briefing<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4675650\/jan-6-pressure-senate-trump-judicial-nominees\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Former Jan. 6 prosecutors pressure Senate over Trump judicial nominees<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4674952\/peter-navarro-rehearing-jan-6-committee-contempt\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump trade adviser seeks full court rehearing in Jan. 6 committee contempt case<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">John Solomon holds a binder before President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Washington. (Saul Loeb\/Pool via AP)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP26198080625240.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">John Solomon holds a binder before President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Washington. (Saul Loeb\/Pool via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The documents were released by the White House Government Transparency Task Force after being declassified by Trump and White House counsel David Warrington. The task force also compiled previously disclosed evidence that it said contradicted the basis for opening the investigation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The predicate for Oxferd Comma was Trump\u2019s May 2017 decision to remove Comey shortly after taking office, according to the documents declassified on Wednesday. FBI agents characterized the inquiry as the least intrusive means of addressing what they considered a serious national security concern, according to information released by the White House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The case was designated sensitive, limiting its visibility within the bureau, and was later folded into special counsel <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/robert-mueller\/\">Robert Mueller\u2019s<\/a> investigation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Solomon, a conservative investigative journalist known for pursuing leads related to the origins and fallout of the Trump-Russia investigations, said the records show the FBI investigated Trump on the theory that he was acting as a Russian agent when he dismissed Comey over his handling of the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hillary-clinton\/\">Hillary Clinton<\/a> email investigation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He argued that the bureau possessed significant information contradicting that theory when Oxferd Comma was opened. By that point, Solomon said, agents had identified problems with the Steele dossier, cleared former national security adviser <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michael-flynn\/\">Michael Flynn<\/a> of suspected collusion, and been told that former Trump campaign adviser <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/carter-page\/\">Carter Page<\/a> had previously served as a CIA operational contact.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The declassified release also revealed a text message in which then-FBI official Peter Strzok told bureau lawyer Lisa Page that there was \u201cno big there there,\u201d as well as concerns raised by FBI agent William Barnett, who worked on the Flynn investigation. Barnett later told investigators that he had not found evidence of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia and believed the inquiry had become a fruitless exercise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The release also renewed scrutiny of former Deputy Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rod-rosenstein\/\">Rod Rosenstein<\/a>, who wrote a memorandum criticizing Comey\u2019s handling of the Clinton email investigation before Trump dismissed the FBI director.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Remarkably, the man who knew the real reason why Comey was fired for violating DOJ policy in the Clinton probe \u2014 then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein \u2014 allowed the case to go forward and authorized Mueller\u2019s appointment.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jsolomonReports\/status\/2084952562176799208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 5, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRemarkably, the man who knew the real reason why Comey was fired for violating DOJ policy in the Clinton probe \u2014 then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein \u2014 allowed the case to go forward and authorized Mueller\u2019s appointment,\u201d Solomon wrote Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The White House under the first Trump administration cited Comey\u2019s handling of the Clinton investigation when explaining his dismissal. Mueller\u2019s subsequent report said Trump was also frustrated that Comey would not publicly announce that the president was not personally under investigation over potential ties to Russia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Comey\u2019s firing helped set in motion the appointment of Mueller, whom Rosenstein selected as special counsel in May 2017 to investigate Russian interference in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2016-elections\/\">2016 election<\/a> and possible links between Russia and Trump\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mueller\u2019s investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election-interference activities. His report documented contacts between campaign associates and people linked to Russia but reached no traditional prosecutorial judgment on whether Trump obstructed justice.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oxferd Comma was ultimately absorbed into Mueller\u2019s wider investigation and closed without producing charges or substantiating the theory that Trump had acted as a Russian asset in firing Comey, according to the information released Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump has long accused the FBI and other intelligence agencies of improperly targeting his campaign and presidency. He has repeatedly criticized Comey and denounced Crossfire Hurricane and the Mueller investigation as politically motivated.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The release could also fuel an ongoing investigation in South Florida being handled in part by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4535915\/joseph-digenova-reagan-era-prosecutor-lead-grand-conspiracy-investigation\/\">special U.S. Attorney Joe diGenova<\/a>. A grand jury formed in the federal district has issued subpoenas to former officials, including ex-CIA Director John Brennan and Comey, among others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Comey, meanwhile, has maintained that the FBI\u2019s Russia investigation was properly opened and has described Trump as morally unfit for office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Comey was charged by the Trump administration last year on counts related to alleged perjury during his 2020 testimony to Congress, though the case was dismissed after a judge found the prosecutor handling the case was improperly appointed. He faces a separate indictment in North Carolina on allegations that he threatened the president last year with a post on social media <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4667364\/former-mobster-interviewed-to-prove-intent-behind-james-comey-86-47-post\/\">involving seashells that spelled out \u201c86 47.\u201d<\/a> He has pleaded not guilty to all of the counts in both cases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4657694\/john-solomon-special-government-employee-ethics-scrutiny\/\">JOHN SOLOMON\u2019S TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ROLE DRAWS ETHICS SCRUTINY<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Solomon\u2019s dual role as a media executive and special government employee <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4657694\/john-solomon-special-government-employee-ethics-scrutiny\/\">drew scrutiny<\/a> in July after he helped craft <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Trump\u2019s<\/a> prime-time address and assisted with the release of declassified files concerning the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2020-elections\/\">2020 election<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The declassified documents released at that time <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4653731\/how-china-stole-voter-registration-220-million-us-citizens\/\">identified vulnerabilities in election systems<\/a> but did not show that foreign interference changed votes or altered the election\u2019s outcome. Following the address, Solomon acknowledged that the intelligence community had found \u201czero evidence\u201d that a foreign power changed votes in the 2020, 2022, or 2024 elections.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FBI 2017 probe questioned Trump\u2019s Russia links in Comey firing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2641077,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26198080625240.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[21851,50645,83731,3634,32127],"class_list":["post-2641076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-declassification","tag-fbi-2","tag-oxford-comma","tag-trump","tag-white-house"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26198080625240.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2641076","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2641076"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2641076\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2641080,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2641076\/revisions\/2641080"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2641077"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2641076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2641076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2641076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}