WASHINGTON (AP) — A person familiar with FBI internal discussions says after FBI Director James Comey was fired the bureau developed a plan to protect evidence in its Russia investigation. The concern was that other senior officials might be dismissed as well.

The person was not authorized to talk about those discussions publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

After President Donald Trump fired Comey in May 2017, the FBI began investigating whether Trump had obstructed justice and whether he might be secretly in league with the Russians.

The person said acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe asked investigators to work on a backup plan to ensure evidence would be protected. The details of the plan weren't immediately clear.