The White House disclosed declassified FBI documents revealing an investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s dismissal of James Comey linked to Russia. This probe was under the peculiar code name ‘Oxferd Comma.’ Observers noted the misspelling might have been intentional.
Jeff Clark, former acting Assistant Attorney General, claimed the code name was altered to hinder the tracking of investigation documents. Clark, now serving at the Oversight Project, criticized the FBI under James Comey and Christopher Wray for alleged corruption. He considered the investigation into Trump as a reaction to Comey’s firing.
The case’s code name, ‘OXFERD C0MMA,’ featured a zero instead of the letter ‘o.’ Clark highlighted that FBI managers saw this as clever, likening themselves to a James Bond villain cleverly avoiding the Freedom of Information Act.
The FBI investigated President Trump for potentially being a Russian agent. The probe assessed if he was directed or controlled by Russia, posing a national security threat, as per a May 2017 FBI memo.
Trump dismissed Comey in May 2017. The White House primarily pointed to Comey’s approach to the Hillary Clinton email case. Shortly after, the ‘Oxferd Comma’ inquiry was initiated, examining if the dismissal related to Russia.
Social media speculations suggested Comey, noted for liking Oxford commas, was referenced by the operation’s name. However, Clark argued the misspelling might complicate document searches for the operation. FOIA requests using the correct spelling might not yield the intended records.
Fox News Digital contacted Wray, Comey, and the White House for statements. Clark called for investigating the misspelling as an obstruction of justice.
James Comey’s 2017 post about Oxford commas resurfaced online following these revelations. In his memoir’s promotion, he expressed support for Oxford commas, linking the operation’s name to him.
The FBI did not respond directly to inquiries about the code name. Ben Williamson, assistant director of the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs, stated unethical conduct at the FBI would be addressed. He emphasized actions against prior misconduct and document releases revealing similar misconduct.