Patel Probes Comey Over 2015 Trump Campaign Sting

FBI Director Kash Patel has launched a probe into James Comey’s alleged 2015 honeypot scheme. The investigation targets claims the then-FBI chief greenlit an off-books operation against Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. Patel aims to unearth if illicit tactics were used to undermine the future president.

Sources say the alleged operation involved luring Trump aides into compromising situations. Patel’s team is scouring old records for proof Comey bypassed protocol to authorize it. If true this could rewrite the narrative of FBI bias in the heated 2016 election cycle.

Comey oversaw the FBI during Trump’s rise facing accusations of overreach in other probes. His handling of the Clinton email case already drew fire for tainting the bureau’s image. This new claim suggests a deeper pattern of politically charged moves against Trump early on.

Patel a Trump loyalist has vowed to root out corruption from the FBI’s past leadership. He frames this as a mission to restore trust in an agency long accused of partisanship. Skeptics see it as a vendetta to settle old scores rather than a quest for justice.

The 2016 campaign was rife with chaos from Russian meddling to leaked emails rocking the race. Any honeypot effort would add a stunning layer to the FBI’s role in that tumult. No hard evidence has surfaced yet but Patel insists whistleblowers are stepping forward.

Trump allies cheer the probe as vindication of his long-held deep state conspiracy claims. They argue Comey’s actions prove a rigged system tried to sink him from the start. Opponents warn Patel’s digging risks politicizing the FBI further with little gain.

Comey has stayed silent leaving the allegations unrefuted for now as files are reviewed. Legal experts say proving an off-books sting after a decade could be a steep climb. The outcome may hinge on classified memos or testimony still locked away.

This investigation could reignite debates over 2016’s messy election and FBI accountability. Patel’s findings if any might shake public faith in federal institutions yet again. For now it’s a high-wire act balancing transparency with the risk of partisan overreach.