Former FBI Director James Comey reportedly had knowledge that a critical piece of evidence relating to the investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server was forged by Russia.
Sources told CNN that the information led Comey to declare the investigation's termination without discussing the matter with ex-Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
The questionable veracity of the Russian intelligence was originally reported by the Washington Post on Wednesday, but it was not known at the time that Comey was aware the information was false.
The alleged Russian disinformation described electronic conversations between the Democratic National Committee's chair at the time, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.), and the Clinton campaign that implied Lynch was going to squash the investigation.
Comey briefed lawmakers on the issue during a classified hearing, but he reportedly did not let on that the intelligence was fake. The sources told CNN that Comey had not revealed his knowledge because "his big fear was that if the Russians released the information publicly, there would be no way for law enforcement and intelligence officials to discredit it without burning intelligence sources and methods."
Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe on Thursday reportedly told members of the Senate Intelligence Committee that the FBI was aware the information was false during a confidential briefing.