Federal prosecutors secured evidence indicating that former FBI Director James Comey authorized the leak of classified information to the media in the lead-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This evidence, derived from declassified FBI records and memos, suggests Comey directed these leaks to influence the narrative surrounding the Russia investigation, specifically in the 2017 leak probe codenamed "Tropic Vortex." Despite the evidence, prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against Comey. Additional declassified Department of Justice documents reveal that Comey's chief of staff, James Rybicki, forwarded sensitive and possibly classified FBI materials related to Russiagate to a private, unsecured email account, though no search warrant was obtained in relation to this. The declassified records also show that there were at least eight classified leak investigations involving Obama administration officials and Democratic members, none of which resulted in prosecutions for espionage or mishandling of classified information. These revelations raise questions about Comey's testimony to Congress and the handling of classified information leaks within the FBI during that period.