There's one big problem, however: it's not clear that Collins has the whole story. In a statement, Facebook said the engineers who raised the initial concerns conducted a deeper investigation that ruled out "specific Russian activity." The company might have been suspicious, but it didn't necessarily have evidence.

The contradictory statements suggest there could be more controversy in the next week, when Collins' committee expects to publish the rest of the seized documents. The trove (obtained from a third-party developer) is known to include executive emails and important data policy decisions, but it's not certain if they'll present the full context behind those statements. Facebook may find itself in serious trouble, but it could also find itself defending against questions based on an incomplete version of events.