Comey, Classified Leaks, and the Media: Newly Declassified FBI Memos Reveal Coordinated Effort to Target Trump

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – In a revelation shaking the foundations of the Trump-Russia collusion narrative, newly declassified FBI documents confirm that former FBI Director James Comey utilized a private conduit to leak classified information in an effort to spur the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate then-President Donald Trump.

The FBI’s now-closed investigation, code-named “Arctic Haze,” determined that multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning articles—especially from The New York Times—were based on illegally leaked classified intelligence. Despite extensive probes and codenamed inquiries like Tropic Vortex, Foggy Falls, Riding Hood, Sirens Lure, Echos Fate, and Genetic Christmas, federal authorities failed to identify the exact leakers or bring charges.

Comey’s Media Conduit and the Times Connection

Central to Arctic Haze was Columbia University law professor Daniel Richman, whom Comey appointed as a Special Government Employee to provide him with Top Secret and Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) clearance. FBI memos show Richman was a long-standing media source for Times reporter Michael Schmidt and acted as Comey’s unofficial press liaison—bypassing the Bureau’s official press office.

Richman admitted to the FBI that he routinely communicated with Schmidt to shape public narratives and counter criticism of Comey. Although Richman denied knowingly passing classified intelligence, he acknowledged to agents he could only make that claim “with a discount.”

Comey’s Strategy: Leak, Deny, Repeat

Following his firing by President Trump, Comey used Richman to leak memoranda of his meetings with Trump, sparking a media frenzy. Comey later admitted under oath that he intended these leaks to trigger the appointment of a special counsel. The strategy worked. The day after The New York Times published Schmidt’s May 2017 article citing Comey’s memo about Trump and Mike Flynn, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel.

DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz previously condemned Comey’s actions as “unauthorized disclosures” of sensitive information, faulting him for acting unilaterally and outside of Department policy. Though the DOJ received a criminal referral, it declined to prosecute.

Adam Schiff and the House Intelligence Pipeline

Adding further intrigue, a career intelligence official told the FBI repeatedly in 2017 that then-Rep. Adam Schiff had authorized leaks of classified information to smear Trump. Schiff, now a U.S. Senator, has denied the allegations, but no charges were filed.

Investigations That Went Nowhere

The FBI launched several classified leak investigations beyond Arctic Haze, including:
• Tropic Vortex – Probing 2016–2017 New York Times stories tied to wiretapping claims.
• Foggy Falls – Focused on FISA warrants and former Trump adviser Carter Page.
• Riding Hood – Examined leaks to BuzzFeed about a Trump adviser’s meeting with a Russian spy.
• Sirens Lure – Targeted reports on Jared Kushner and alleged backchannels to the Kremlin.
• Echos Fate – Investigated leaks about General Michael Flynn and Obama’s Russia response.
• Genetic Christmas – Focused on a 2016 NBC article claiming Putin personally ordered election interference.

Each inquiry failed to yield prosecutable evidence.

A Narrative Built on Sand

Tulsi Gabbard, as Director of National Intelligence, recently criticized these leaks, noting they distorted the intelligence community’s still-developing assessment of Russian activities. FBI documents now confirm what many suspected: the Russia collusion narrative was powered by political operatives, weaponized leaks, and compliant legacy media outlets.

Comey’s network, coordinated media outreach, and calculated release of classified intelligence were not isolated decisions—they were strategic moves in a broader campaign to delegitimize a sitting president. As legal experts weigh potential prosecutions, critics argue this unprecedented abuse of intelligence channels represents a fundamental betrayal of public trust.

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