- President Donald Trump directed the full declassification of all FBI records related to the Crossfire Hurricane probe, a 2016 counterintelligence investigation into his campaign's alleged ties to Russia.
- The probe was launched on unverified, third-hand intelligence, as revealed by a 2023 Special Counsel John Durham report, which criticized the FBI for lacking verified evidence.
- The investigation began under FBI agent Peter Strzok, relying on speculative claims of Russian operatives seeking contact with Trump's team, later expanding into Robert Mueller's special counsel probe.
- Trump had previously declassified a sensitive binder (January 2021) detailing alleged misconduct by intelligence officials, which resurfaced during the FBI's Mar-a-Lago raid (August 2022) over concerns about missing documents.
- The declassification could expose FBI methods, internal bias and political motivations, either vindicating claims of misconduct or further polarizing public opinion around the probe.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, March 25, ordered the immediate declassification of all Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records tied to the Crossfire Hurricane probe.
The directive, delivered via a memorandum from White House advisor William Scharf, targets the remaining classified materials from the 2016 counterintelligence operation, which scrutinized Trump's campaign over alleged ties to Russia.
The decision follows years of legal battles, congressional inquiries and a damning 2023 report from Special Counsel John Durham, who concluded the FBI lacked verified intelligence when it launched the investigation. With the imminent release of these documents, the intelligence community faces renewed scrutiny over its handling of a case that has fueled deep political divisions.
The Crossfire Hurricane investigation began in July 2016 under the leadership of then-FBI agent Peter Strzok. Judicial Watch later obtained the original "electronic communication" document through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, revealing that the FBI initiated the probe based on unverified, third-hand information. (Related: Unraveling the origins of Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI's Trump-Russia-collusion hoax.)
The memo, authored by Strzok, claimed Russian operatives were seeking contact with "prominent members of the Donald Trump campaign" to establish post-election relations. Despite its flimsy foundation, the document became the basis for a sprawling counterintelligence operation that would later expand into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
Durham's final report in 2023 confirmed what critics had long alleged: The FBI opened the case without verified intelligence, relying instead on speculative claims. The findings intensified demands for full transparency, with Trump and his allies arguing that the documents would expose misconduct by federal officials.
Previous declassifications and the Mar-a-Lago raid
Trump had already taken steps toward transparency before leaving office. On Jan. 19, 2021, he declassified a binder containing hundreds of pages detailing the conduct of intelligence officials involved in Crossfire Hurricane. Described as highly sensitive, the binder allegedly included evidence of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and FBI coordination under the Obama administration to advance the Russia collusion narrative.
The binder resurfaced in public discourse in August 2022 after the FBI's unprecedented raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. Sources familiar with the matter claimed the search was partly motivated by efforts to locate a "missing top-secret binder" containing intercepted communications, tasking orders for key FBI sources like Christopher Steele and Stefan Halper, and the final Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant approved by a secret court. The documents also reportedly detailed the role of Fiona Hill, a former National Security Council official who facilitated Steele's introduction to federal investigators.
The latest declassification order could have far-reaching consequences, potentially exposing internal deliberations, intelligence-gathering methods and the extent of political bias within the FBI. Supporters of Trump argue that full transparency is necessary to hold officials accountable, while critics warn that selective releases could be used to fuel partisan narratives.
As the documents are prepared for public release, attention remains fixed on how they might reshape perceptions of the Russia investigation.
"This is about restoring trust in our institutions," said a source close to the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The American people deserve to know the truth."
The declassification of the remaining Crossfire Hurricane records marks a pivotal moment in the years-long saga surrounding the FBI's investigation into Trump's campaign. With the intelligence community's actions under renewed scrutiny, the release could either vindicate long-held claims of misconduct or further polarize an already divided public.
As the documents become available, their contents may finally provide definitive answers – or deepen the controversies – surrounding one of the most politically charged probes in U.S. history.
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