The F.B.I. has cut ties with several informants and issued warnings about dozens of others due to concerns about their potential links to Russian disinformation, according to current and former U.S. officials. The internal review, conducted in 2020 and 2021 by a small group within the bureau’s counterintelligence division, led to the severing of sources who had provided information about Russia-aligned figures at a critical time when the bureau was seeking more intelligence from those networks.
The review took place during the 2020 election and amid heightened concerns about Russian interference, as well as the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine. The delicate balance between gathering valuable intelligence and the risk of being used to spread disinformation was underscored by this episode, particularly in post-Soviet countries where alliances can be complex and difficult to navigate.
The F.B.I. has been investigating potential Russian disinformation efforts for years and became alarmed when informants began sharing politically explosive information, including reports about President Biden’s family and former President Trump. The bureau’s efforts to gather intelligence on Russian meddling in U.S. politics were complicated by the need to guard against disinformation and influence operations targeting American politics.
The termination of informants was classified as precautionary, with no specific evidence of intentional dissemination of Russian disinformation. However, concerns about unwittingly spreading false information or being associated with those who do were enough to prompt the F.B.I. to take action. The bureau’s sources are crucial for gathering insights that technology alone cannot provide, but the risks of manipulation and misinformation are ever-present in the shadowy world of intelligence gathering.