American President Donald Trump has been in the headlines recently, not only because of his position but also due to his statements.
Amid this, another major development involving the U.S. President has emerged, with reports that the FBI investigated whether Trump was knowingly or unknowingly acting as a Russian agent.
The Investigation Stemmed From Crossfire Hurricane and Examined Possible Links Between Trump and Russia
The matter traces back to Crossfire Hurricane, an FBI investigation into whether Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign had any connections or possible collusion with Russia during the 2016 election.
According to the declassified bureau memos, “Based on the facts and circumstances provided to date, the FBI believes that opening this investigation is the least intrusive method to address the serious national security risk posed by the activities alleged.”
The investigation was reportedly opened shortly after Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey in May 2017. The White House initially cited Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. Reports later said his dismissal raised concerns that prompted the FBI to examine whether Trump’s actions posed a national security risk.
The probe aimed to determine whether Donald Trump directed, controlled, or coordinated activities with the Russian Federation in a way that threatened U.S. national security or violated federal criminal laws, as per NYPost.
The memo said, “In addition, this investigation will also seek to determine whether President Trump and others yet to be named obstructed and/or conspiracy to obstruct any associated FBI investigation.”
According to reports, Trump is not under investigation because of alleged collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia. Instead, investigators continued the probe mainly because of James Comey’s firing.
The FBI’s decision to handle the investigation as a special counsel probe showed how seriously officials viewed the matter. The investigation was closed in April 2019 without any charges against Trump. Earlier investigations led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller also found no evidence that Trump or his campaign conspired with Russia during the 2016 election.
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FBI’S INVESTIGATION INTO DONALD TRUMP?
Originally reported by Vipul Dhawas on Mandatory
