Newly installed FBI Director Kash Patel has faced heat from Democrats on his contentious “list of enemies” prior to his Senate confirmation. Upon taking the oath of office, Patel referred to being at the helm of the nation’s premier federal law enforcement organization as the “greatest honor” of his life.
After his appointment, the FBI has opened a probe into ex-Director James Comey on claims that he sent female undercover agents, or “honeypots,” to spy on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The allegations are based on a whistleblower who alleged Comey directly approved the undercover operation. According to Kerry Picket of The Washington Times, a protected disclosure outlining the plan was made to the House Judiciary Committee in 2024.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="1080px" width="1920px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
The whistleblower said that two women FBI agents were tasked with befriending Trump and his campaign staff in the guise of romance or personal relationships. The operation, as it was reported, was distinct from Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI counterintelligence inquiry into unsubstantiated allegations of collusion between Russia and Trump’s campaign. The source also asserted that the operation was intentionally concealed from Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz, who subsequently examined abuse in the bureau’s Trump probe.
The operation eventually came to a sudden end when a leading newspaper secured a photo of one of the undercover agents and planned to publish it. The press office of the FBI supposedly stepped in, cautioning the media outlet that the photo showed an informant whose life would be threatened if released. As the inquiry into Comey’s conduct unfolds, Patel’s leadership of the FBI starts under the spotlight of extreme political scrutiny.
