Government informants are an age-old investigative tool that's as much a part of the FBI's 110 years of history as J. Edgar Hoover or its "10 Most Wanted" list. Informants "may receive compensation in some instances for their information and expenses," the FBI writes, but they aren't considered employees. The agency seemed acutely aware of the political pitfalls of investigating Trump's campaign, keeping it under wraps in its early stages and, according to reports, sending a longtime source to question lower level aides. In the 1980s, Henry Hill became the FBI's prized informant on the mob before disappearing into the Witness Protection Program, his life later portrayed in the film "Goodfellas." WHERE WE GO FROM HEREIn Trump's corner are several House Republicans who are demanding access to the FBI's closely guarded secrets in the Russia probe, including details on the Russia informant.

Source: ABC News May 22, 2018 18:53 UTC