The FBI opened counterintelligence investigations into four Trump campaign associates in late July 2016, earlier than previously known, former FBI Director James Comey told Congress…
The FBI opened counterintelligence investigations into four Trump campaign associates in late July 2016, earlier than previously known, former FBI Director James Comey told Congress Friday.
“I was briefed sometime at the end of July that the FBI had opened counterintelligence investigations of four individuals to see if there was a connection between those — any of those four and the Russian effort,” Comey said during a seven hour interview with the House Judiciary and House Oversight Committees.
The revelation comes as something of a surprise because Democrats and many in the media have insisted that the probe, dubbed Crossfire Hurricane, was launched solely based on information that the Australian government provided the FBI on Trump aide George Papadopoulos.
It is not clear why the FBI added three other Trump associates to its investigation. Comey declined to name the four Americans, though The New York Times has previously reported that the initial focus of the investigation was Papadopoulos, Carter Page, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort. (RELATED: House Releases James Comey Transcript)
Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. (Photo: LinkedIn)
Comey disclosed the new information while disputing a claim from South Carolina Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy that the FBI opened an investigation into the Trump campaign.
Comey quibbled with that characterization, saying that the investigation was not into the campaign but into the four individuals.
“The Trump campaign was not under investigation.
