The FBI faced a high-profile breach involving unauthorized leaks of sensitive information tied to its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server. Former FBI Director **James Comey** was indicted for allegedly authorizing **Daniel Richman**, a Columbia University law professor and former federal prosecutor, to act as an anonymous media source. The leak, investigated under **Operation Arctic Haze**, involved classified details appearing in a 2017 *New York Times* article, though no charges were filed against Richman or Comey for the leak itself. The incident stemmed from Comey’s 2020 Senate testimony, where he denied authorizing any FBI personnel to leak investigation details—contradicted by later revelations. While no direct data theft or financial loss occurred, the breach compromised the FBI’s operational integrity, eroded public trust, and triggered legal repercussions for Comey, including charges of false statements and obstruction. The case also highlighted political interference allegations, with Comey’s legal team arguing the prosecution was motivated by former President Trump’s personal vendetta. The reputational damage extended to the FBI’s credibility in handling politically sensitive investigations, reinforcing perceptions of institutional vulnerability to internal leaks and external manipulation.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-court-filings-james-comey-richman-trump-doj-fbi/
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/fbi
"id": "fbi3562235102125",
"linkid": "fbi",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "6/2017",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Law Enforcement',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)',
'size': '~37,000 employees (2023)',
'type': 'Government Agency'},
{'industry': 'Justice/Legal',
'location': 'United States',
'name': 'U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)',
'size': '~113,000 employees (2023)',
'type': 'Government Agency'},
{'industry': 'Politics',
'location': 'United States',
'name': "Hillary Clinton (referenced as 'Person 1')",
'type': 'Individual (Former Political Figure)'}],
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': ['Media Leaks (New York Times, Wall '
'Street Journal)'],
'file_types_exposed': ['Text (Memos)', 'Investigation Notes'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (Classified/Confidential)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Classified Investigation '
'Details (alleged)',
'Internal FBI Memos (Trump '
'conversations)']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-09-09',
'description': "A court filing by James Comey's attorneys identified Daniel "
"Richman as 'Person 3' in a DOJ indictment accusing Comey of "
'lying to Congress about authorizing an FBI staffer to leak '
"information to the media regarding the FBI's investigation "
"into Hillary Clinton. The indictment stems from Comey's 2020 "
'Senate testimony, where he denied authorizing anyone to serve '
'as an anonymous source. Richman, a Columbia University law '
'professor and former federal prosecutor, was confirmed as the '
'individual Comey allegedly authorized. The case revolves '
"around discrepancies between Comey's testimony and statements "
'by former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe. No charges have '
"been filed against Richman, and the FBI's 'Arctic Haze' "
'investigation into the leaks closed without criminal charges. '
"Comey's legal team argues the prosecution is politically "
"motivated, citing President Trump's animus toward Comey.",
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': ['High (FBI & DOJ)',
'Politicization of Law Enforcement'],
'data_compromised': ['Classified FBI Investigation Details '
'(alleged)',
'Internal FBI Communications (memos)'],
'legal_liabilities': ['Perjury Charges (Comey)',
'Obstruction of Congress (Comey)'],
'operational_impact': ['FBI Credibility Undermined',
'Internal Trust Erosion']},
'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': 'Authorized Insider Access (Comey as '
'FBI Director)',
'high_value_targets': ['FBI Investigation Details '
'(Clinton email server)',
'Comey-Trump Memos'],
'reconnaissance_period': '2016–2017 (Clinton '
'investigation timeline)'},
'investigation_status': "Ongoing (Comey's case); Closed (Arctic Haze, IG "
'Probe)',
'lessons_learned': ['Need for stricter insider threat monitoring in sensitive '
'investigations',
'Risks of politicized prosecutions undermining public '
'trust',
'Importance of precise testimony under oath to avoid '
'perjury allegations',
'Challenges in balancing transparency with operational '
'security in high-profile cases'],
'motivation': ['Political Influence',
'Media Narrative Control',
"Disputed: Personal Vendetta (per Comey's defense)"],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['FBI policy updates on '
'media contacts (post-2017)',
'DOJ Inspector General '
'recommendations (2019)',
'Enhanced training on '
'congressional testimony '
'for officials',
'Stricter controls on '
'dissemination of '
'investigation memos'],
'root_causes': ['Lack of oversight for FBI '
"director's media interactions",
'Ambiguity in authorization '
'processes for anonymous sources',
'Politicization of law enforcement '
'investigations',
'Inadequate documentation of '
'verbal authorizations']},
'recommendations': ['Enhance FBI media contact policies and enforcement',
'Implement real-time monitoring for unauthorized '
'disclosures in politically sensitive cases',
'Conduct regular audits of insider access to classified '
'investigation details',
'Establish clearer guidelines for congressional testimony '
'by law enforcement officials',
'Depoliticize DOJ prosecutions involving former '
'officials'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-09-09',
'source': 'CBS News',
'url': 'https://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-comey-daniel-richman-person-3-clinton-investigation-leak/'},
{'date_accessed': '2024-09-09',
'source': 'Just The News (Arctic Haze Memo)',
'url': 'https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/fbi-memo-reveals-details-arctic-haze-leak-probe-involving-comey'},
{'date_accessed': '2024-08-XX',
'source': 'U.S. Department of Justice Indictment (2024)'},
{'date_accessed': '2024-09-09',
'source': 'Comey Legal Team Motion to Dismiss (2024-09-09)'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': ['Indictment (Comey, 2024)',
'Motion to Dismiss (Filed '
'2024-09-09)'],
'regulations_violated': ['18 U.S. Code § 1001 '
'(False Statements)',
'FBI Media Contact '
'Policies'],
'regulatory_notifications': ['Senate Intelligence '
'Committee (2017, '
'2020)',
'DOJ Inspector General '
'(2019)']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ["Public Court Filings (Comey's "
'Defense)',
'Media Statements (Disputed)'],
'containment_measures': ['Media Leak Investigation',
'Internal Policy Reviews'],
'incident_response_plan_activated': ["FBI 'Arctic Haze' "
'Investigation (closed '
'2024)',
'DOJ Inspector General '
'Probe (2017–2019)'],
'law_enforcement_notified': 'Internal (DOJ/FBI)',
'remediation_measures': ['Policy Violations Identified (Comey)',
'No Classified Info Leaked (per IG '
'Report)']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['Senate Intelligence Committee (2017, 2020 '
'testimony)',
'DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility',
'FBI Office of Integrity and Compliance'],
'threat_actor': {'affiliation': 'Former FBI Director',
'associated_actors': [{'affiliation': 'Columbia University '
'Law Professor, Former '
'Federal Prosecutor',
'name': 'Daniel Richman',
'role': 'Alleged Anonymous Source '
"('Person 3')",
'status': 'Not charged'}],
'motivation': ['Political', 'Personal (disputed)'],
'name': 'James Comey (alleged authorizer)',
'role': 'Alleged Leak Authorizer'},
'title': 'Alleged Unauthorized Media Leak by Former FBI Director James Comey '
'Involving Daniel Richman',
'type': ['Unauthorized Disclosure', 'Insider Threat', 'Alleged Perjury'],
'vulnerability_exploited': ['Human (Insider Trust)', 'Lack of Oversight']}