A newly disclosed whistleblower report has sparked an FBI probe into claims that, in 2015, high-level officials within the bureau—specifically under former Director James Comey—launched an off-the-books plan to infiltrate Donald Trump’s presidential campaign using undercover female agents. Nicknamed a “honeypot” operation, the scheme reportedly aimed to gather incriminating details on the candidate and his staff, preceding the official “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation by at least a year.

According to documents provided to the House Judiciary Committee, the two female undercover agents, directed by Comey, embedded themselves within Trump’s inner circle. The whistleblower alleges this operation was hidden from standard FBI case file systems like Sentinel, raising serious questions about whether bureau procedures were circumvented. Additionally, it was not disclosed to Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz, who was tasked with reviewing the FBI’s investigation into Russian collusion allegations.

New FBI leadership—namely Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino—has reportedly reopened the matter, seeking to locate and interview the former undercover agents, both of whom have since moved on to other federal roles or advanced positions within the bureau. This probe is said to be separate from Crossfire Hurricane, the better-known investigation launched in 2016 to probe Russian interference in the election.

The whistleblower’s disclosure contends:

• The investigation had no clear criminal predicate, suggesting it was a “fishing expedition” against Trump.
• Comey’s directive for an off-the-books approach bypassed typical FBI documentation requirements, raising concerns of bias within the bureau.
• One female agent was transferred to the CIA to avoid becoming a witness; the other was promoted within the FBI’s executive ranks.
• The operation was shut down when a major news outlet approached the FBI with a compromising photograph of one undercover agent, prompting bureau officials to intervene.

Observers note that this development may open new lines of inquiry into the FBI’s internal practices and whether the bureau harbored institutional bias against Trump during the early days of his presidential bid. While the agency’s spokesperson has declined to comment on the specifics, the reexamination of Comey’s alleged “honeypot” operation reflects a marked shift under Patel and Bongino’s leadership. With these fresh eyes on the case, Congress and the public wait to see whether the new probe will shed further light on how far the FBI might have gone—and whether any misconduct from 2015 will lead to accountability measures today.

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In the meantime, as the FBI hunts down key operatives from this alleged “honeypot” mission and reconsiders how the case was handled, the bureau’s credibility is once again under the microscope in the ongoing debate over how federal law enforcement intersects with electoral politics.