Today, The Senate Judiciary Committee Focuses On The Democrat & Russia-Connected Firm That Worked With Foreign Agents To Produce An Unsubstantiated Anti-Trump Opposition Research Dossier
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TOP TAKEAWAYS
- Today, The Senate Judiciary Committee will examine Fusion GPS, a firm that contracted with a foreign agent to produce a phony dossier on President Trump that was fed to the media and the intelligence community during the 2016 campaign.
- Fusion GPS has connections to Kremlin connected Russians and other foreign agents.
- Fusion GPS has ties to Democrats and supporters of Hillary Clinton.
- An anti-Trump dossier produced by Christopher Steele for Fusion GPS has long been discredited, but Democrats continued to cite it as a legitimate source of information.
- Fusion GPS has been exposed as an unreliable source of information.
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TODAY, THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE IS FOCUSING ON FUSION GPS
The Committee Will Look Into Fusion GPS's Ties To Russian Agents, Along With The Potential The Firm Violated The Foreign Agents Registration Act
Today, The Senate Judiciary Committee Is Focusing On The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) And Examining The Work Of Fusion GPS. "When Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) gavels in the hearing, he will attempt to focus on its stated subject, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm that paid former MI6 spy Christopher Steele to collect intelligence on the Trump campaign's ties with Russia. The dossier contained numerous allegations about Donald Trump and the campaign, some of them unsubstantiated. The hearing was set up to examine the firm's separate work on a legal case involving the Magnitsky Act, a law to punish Russian human rights violators." (Josh Rogin, Op-Ed, "Judiciary Committee To Turn The Russia Investigation Back On Fusion GPS," The Washington Post, 7/25/17)
Testifying At The Hearing Will Be William Browder, An Individual Who Worked With Sergei Magnitsky Who Was Allegedly Tortured And Killed In A Russian Prison In 2009 After Accusing Russian Government Connected Officials Of $230 Million In Tax Theft. "The law was named after Sergei Magnitsky, who was tortured and killed in a Russian prison in 2009 after uncovering a $230 million tax theft. He worked for William Browder, the head of Hermitage Capital Management, who will testify at the hearing." (Josh Rogin, Op-Ed, "Judiciary Committee To Turn The Russia Investigation Back On Fusion GPS," The Washington Post, 7/25/17)
Browder Is Expected To Accuse Fusion GPS And Its Founder Glenn Simpson Of Running A Smear Campaign Against Magnitsky In Conjunction With Russian Lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya And Russian-American Lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin. "In his testimony, Browder will accuse Fusion GPS and its founder Glenn Simpson of running a smear campaign against Magnitsky, in conjunction with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and Russian American lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin." (Josh Rogin, Op-Ed, "Judiciary Committee To Turn The Russia Investigation Back On Fusion GPS," The Washington Post, 7/25/17)
Browder Is Expected To Accuse Fusion GPS Of Working To Defend A Russian Company From Charges It Laundered Funds Stolen In The Fraud Magnitsky Uncovered. "They were all allegedly working with the law firm Baker Hostetler to defend the Russian company Prevezon from charges it laundered funds stolen in the fraud Magnitsky uncovered." (Josh Rogin, Op-Ed, "Judiciary Committee To Turn The Russia Investigation Back On Fusion GPS," The Washington Post, 7/25/17)
Browder Is Expected To Testify That Russian Lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya Allegedly Hired Fusion GPS To Spread Lies About Magnitsky And Browder To Newspapers And Other Publications. "'Veselnitskaya, through Baker Hostetler, hired Glenn Simpson of the firm Fusion GPS to conduct a smear campaign against me and Sergei Magnitsky in advance of congressional hearings on the Global Magnitsky Act,' Browder will testify. 'He contacted a number of major newspapers and other publications to spread false information that Sergei Magnitsky was not murdered, was not a whistle-blower and was instead a criminal. They also spread false information that my presentations to lawmakers around the world were untrue.'" (Josh Rogin, Op-Ed, "Judiciary Committee To Turn The Russia Investigation Back On Fusion GPS," The Washington Post, 7/25/17)
"If Fusion GPS Was Lobbying On Behalf Of The Russian Government Without Registering As A Foreign Agent, That Would Violate FARA, Browder Argues. He also accuses Veselnitskaya and Akhmetshin of setting up a nongovernmental organization called the Human Rights Accountability Global Initiative Foundation to lobby against the Magnitsky Act under the guise of discussing the issue of Russia's ban on American adoptions." (Josh Rogin, Op-Ed, "Judiciary Committee To Turn The Russia Investigation Back On Fusion GPS," The Washington Post, 7/25/17)
Another Witness Is Expected To Testify That Fusion GPS Operated A Smear Campaign Against Journalists Who Threatened To Expose The Laundering Of Proceeds From Faulty Venezuelan Electric Power Plants Through American Banks In A Kickback Scheme To Pay Off Venezuelan Officials. "Thor Halvorssen is the head of Human Rights Foundation, which focuses on defense of political rights in authoritarian countries. Halvorssen's testimony alleges that Fusion GPS operated a smear campaign against journalists who threatened to expose the laundering of proceeds from faulty Venezuelan electric power plants through American banks in a kickback scheme to pay off Venezuelan officials. It should have been big news, he said. 'Fusion GPS, however, was hired to spike these stories. Even though it was clearly acting as a public relations counsel on behalf of a foreign principal, Fusion GPS never registered under [the Foreign Agents Registration Act] and was able to engage in nefarious activities without public scrutiny.'" (Mollie Hemmingway, "Senate Testimony: Fusion GPS Helped Corrupt Russians And Venezuelans," The Federalist , 7/26/17)
Fusion GPS's Glenn Simpson Was Subpoenaed To Testify And Intended To Plead The Fifth Amendment, But Has Now Struck A Deal To Testify In Private. "Simpson was served a subpoena on July 21 demanding that he testify. Through his lawyers, he communicated his intention to invoke his right not to testify under the Fifth Amendment. On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that Simpson had struck a deal to testify in private, avoiding a public questioning and negating his need to plead the Fifth." (Josh Rogin, Op-Ed, "Judiciary Committee To Turn The Russia Investigation Back On Fusion GPS," The Washington Post, 7/25/17)
FUSION GPS PRODUCED AN ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER IN 2016 THAT HAS BEEN WIDELY DISCREDITED
In January, BuzzFeed Published An Explosive Dossier Containing Sensational Claims
In January, BuzzFeed Published A Dossier Containing Supposed Intelligence Gathered By A Former British Intelligence Agent. "BuzzFeed on Tuesday published a 35-page dossier comprising a series of memos, containing intelligence reportedly gathered by a former British intelligence agent as opposition research, about alleged ties between President-elect Donald Trump and Russia." (Will Oremus, "BuzzFeed's Bombshell," Slate , 1/11/17)
The Publishing Of The Dossier Was Called Unfair To President-Elect Trump Since The Allegations "Might Or Might Not Be Entirely Scurrilous." "First, it unfairly forces a public figure - Trump, in this case - to respond to a set of allegations that might or might not be entirely scurrilous; the reporters, by their own admission, do not know." (David Graham, "Why Did BuzzFeed Publish The Trump Dossier," The Atlantic , 1/11/17)
Fusion GPS Hired Former British Spy Christopher Steele To Compile The Dossier
Fusion GPS Is A Washington Research Firm Run By Former Journalists That Usually Works For Business Clients, But Also Does Opposition Research For Candidates, Party Organizations And Donors. "The story began in September 2015, when a wealthy Republican donor who strongly opposed Mr. Trump put up money to hire a Washington research firm run by former journalists, Fusion GPS, to compile a dossier about the real estate's magnate's scandals and weaknesses, according to a person familiar with the effort… Fusion GPS, headed by a former Wall Street Journal journalist known for his dogged reporting, Glenn Simpson, most often works for business clients. But in presidential elections, the firm is sometimes hired by candidates, party organizations or donors to do political 'oppo' work - shorthand for opposition research - on the side." (Scott Shane, Nicholas Confessore and Matthew Rosenberg, "How A Sensational, Unverified Dossier Became A Crisis For Donald Trump," The New York Times , 1/11/17)
Fusion GPS Hired Foreign Intelligence Agent Christopher Steele To Compile The Now-Infamous Dossier Containing Unproven Allegations Against President Trump. "Fusion GPS, which is based in Washington DC and was established by former Wall Street Journal reporters Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, found itself in the spotlight earlier this year after it emerged it was behind an 'oppo research' dossier containing unproven and often salacious allegations about Mr. Trump. The company had originally been hired by Republican rivals of Mr. Trump during the primary campaign. After he secured the party's nomination, the company was instead paid by Democratic financial supporters of Ms. Clinton. In the summer of 2016, GPS hired former British intelligence agent, Christopher Steele, to help their work." (Andrew Buncombe, "Russian Lawyer Who Met With Donald Trump Jr. Linked To Investigation Group Behind Salacious Steele Dossier," The Independent , 7/10/17)
Steele Once Worked As An Undercover Spy In Moscow. "Fusion GPS contracted with Steele, who had once worked as an undercover spy in Moscow. The court document lifted a veil on Washington's inner workings, with Steele laying out how Fusion briefed select reporters on the material for which it and Steele had been paid to gather." (Kevin G. Hall, "John Mccain Faces Questions In Trump-Russia Dossier Case," McClatchy , 7/11/17)
The Steele Dossier Cites A Former Top Level Russian Intelligence Officer And Kremlin Officials. "The dossier quotes from a large number of anonymous sources. It cites 'a former top level Russian intelligence officer still active inside the Kremlin,' 'a senior Russian foreign ministry figure' and 'a senior Russian financial official.' The report claims to have sources from inside the president-elect's inner circle. We get code letters, but no names. For example, source G is described as 'a senior Kremlin official.'" (Luke Harding, "What We Know - And What's True, About The Trump-Russia Dossier," The Guardian , 1/11/17)
Shortly After Publication, The Reliability And Accuracy Of The Dossier Was Immediately Called Into Question
The Christopher Steele Dossier Was Conducted On Behalf Of President Trump's Political Opponents In The Form Of Opposition Research. "Steele is a former British intelligence agent who conducted opposition research on behalf of Trump's political opponents from both major U.S. parties. " (Kevin Hall, David Goldstein, and Greg Gordon, "BuzzFeed Sued Over Its Publication Of Uncorroborated Trump Dossier," McClatchy , 2/3/17)
At Least Nine News Organizations Possessed The Dossier And Elected Not To Publish It Before Corroborating The Allegations When CNN And BuzzFeed Reported On It. "At least nine news organizations, including McClatchy, possessed copies of the dossier, electing not to publish its contents until their reporters could check the validity of its allegations. But on Jan. 10, CNN disclosed that U.S. intelligence officials had informed Trump of the dossier when they'd briefed him on the findings of a U.S. intelligence community report that concluded Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered the hacks in an effort to help Trump's campaign. A short time later, BuzzFeed posted the entire 35-page document, redacting the name of one individual and saying it did not know whether the statements attributed to Steele's intelligence sources were accurate." (Kevin Hall, David Goldstein, And Greg Gordon, "BuzzFeed Sued Over Its Publication Of Uncorroborated Trump Dossier," McClatchy , 2/3/17)
BuzzFeed Received Criticism For Publishing The Unverified Opposition Research Document. "Even granting those limitations, BuzzFeed's decision to publish a dossier full of serious accusations against President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday raised serious questions." (David Graham, "The Trouble With Publishing The Trump Dossier," The Atlantic , 1/11/17)
- The Washington Post Headline: "BuzzFeed's Ridiculous Rationale For Publishing The Trump-Russia Dossier." (Erik Wemple, "BuzzFeed's Ridiculous Rationale For Publishing The Trump-Russia Dossier," The Washington Post , 1/10/17)
The Atlantic Headline: "The Trouble With Publishing The Trump Dossier. " (David Graham, "The Trouble With Publishing The Trump Dossier," The Atlantic , 1/11/17)
Despite Warnings Of Inaccuracy And Unreliability, Democrats Continued To Cite The Dossier And Praise Its Accuracy
Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT) Told CBS That As Time Passes, "The More That Dossier Acquires Credibility." "On Thursday, in an interview with CBS News, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut talked about the committee's interest in Steele. 'The work that he did, the dossier, is still largely unconfirmed, but the more time that passes, the more that dossier acquires credibility,' he said." (Jeff Pegues, "Some Democrats In Congress Want Former British Spy To Testify About Russian Dossier," CBS News , 3/23/17)
Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX) Said During A House Intelligence Committee Hearing That The Allegations Raised By The Dossier "Are Very Revealing." REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): "OK. Well, the reputation of the author, Christopher Steele is a former accomplished British intelligence officer with a career built on following Russia is important. This is not someone who doesn't know how to run a source and not someone without contacts. The allegations it raises about President Trump's campaign aids connections to Russians, when overlaid with known established facts and timelines from the 2016 campaign are very revealing." (House Intelligence Committee, U.S. House, Hearing, 3/20/17)
The Dossier Was Taken Seriously By The Intelligence Community Despite The Obvious Red Flags To Its Accuracy
The Dossier Was Apparently Used In-Part As The FBI's Justification In Obtaining A Warrant To Surveil Carter Page. "For example, the dossier was used in-part as the FBI's justification in obtaining a warrant to surveil Carter Page, the New York energy businessman who briefly served as a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, according to a media report." (Todd Shepherd, "Co-Founder Of Company That Made Controversial Trump Dossier Agrees To Interview With Senate Judiciary," Washington Examiner , 7/25/17)
The Dossier Ended Up Attached To A Top Secret Intelligence Briefing For President Obama Despite His Intelligence Czar Testifying, "We Couldn't Corroborate The Sourcing." "But even the CIA gave it credence. The dossier ended up attached to a Top Secret intelligence briefing on Russia for President Obama, even though his intelligence czar last month testified, 'We couldn't corroborate the sourcing.' The FBI, moreover, has been using it for investigative leads on Trump associates like Carter Page, even though former FBI Director James Comey this month described the dossier as 'salacious and unverified.'" (Paul Sperry, "Sketchy Firm Behind Trump Dossier Is Stalling Investigators," New York Post , 6/24/17)
Warnings About The Dossier's Reliability Has Been Validated Over The Past Few Months, As It Has Become Even More Clear The Contents Of The Dossier Are Unsubstantiated
In Court Documents, Christopher Steele Admitted Some Of The Work In His Anti-Trump Report Was Never Fully Verified. "The former British spy behind the dossier alleging ties between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia insists his research was urgent enough to share with top American and British officials, but admits some of his work was not fully verified, according to court documents filed last month in London." (Marshall Cohen, "Spy Behind Trump Dossier Says Info Was Never Meant For Public Eyes," CNN , 5/2/17)
Steele Admitted Some Of His Supposed Information, "Needed To Be Analyzed And Further Investigated/Verified." "But Steele also concedes that some of the information he passed along to the US and UK governments still 'needed to be analyzed and further investigated/verified,' according to the court filing. This acknowledgment from Steele referred specifically to one memo he wrote, not his entire dossier." (Marshall Cohen, "Spy Behind Trump Dossier Says Info Was Never Meant For Public Eyes," CNN , 5/2/17)
These Admissions Surfaced Because Steele Is Currently Being Sued For Defamation In London. "The filing, first reported by the Washington Times, seeks to defend Steele's involvement in a case against him that claims he failed to do 'even the most basic attempt at verification.' The defamation case against Steele is playing out in the High Court in London, which is roughly the same as a trial court in the US." (Marshall Cohen, "Spy Behind Trump Dossier Says Info Was Never Meant For Public Eyes," CNN , 5/2/17)
FUSION GPS, THE RESEARCH FIRM BEHIND THE ANTI-TRUMP DOSSIER IS AN UNRELIABLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Fusion GPS Has Ties To Hillary Clinton And The Democratic Party
Fusion GPS Was Allegedly On The Payroll Of A Democratic Ally Of Hillary Clinton During The 2016 Presidential Campaign And Was Also Hired By Democrats To Do Opposition Research On Mitt Romney During The 2012 Presidential Campaign. "Fusion GPS was on the payroll of an unidentified Democratic ally of Clinton when it hired a long-retired British spy to dig up dirt on Trump. In 2012, Democrats hired Fusion GPS to uncover dirt on GOP presidential nominee." (Paul Sperry, Op-Ed, "Sketchy Firm Behind Trump Dossier Is Stalling Investigators," New York Post , 6/24/17)
Planned Parenthood Allegedly Retained Fusion GPS To Investigate Pro-Life Groups. "And in 2015, Democratic ally Planned Parenthood retained Fusion GPS to investigate pro-life activists protesting the abortion group." (Paul Sperry, Op-Ed, "Sketchy Firm Behind Trump Dossier Is Stalling Investigators," New York Post , 6/24/17)
A Co-Founder Of Fusion GPS Was A Hillary Clinton Donor. "Moreover, federal records show a key co-founder and partner in the firm was a Hillary Clinton donor and supporter of her presidential campaign." (Paul Sperry, Op-Ed, "Sketchy Firm Behind Trump Dossier Is Stalling Investigators," New York Post , 6/24/17)
"In September 2016, While Fusion GPS Was Quietly Shopping The Dirty Dossier On Trump Around Washington, Its Co-Founder And Partner Peter R. Fritsch Contributed At Least $1,000 To The Hillary Victory Fund And The Hillary For America Campaign , Federal Election Commission data show. His wife also donated money to Hillary's campaign." (Paul Sperry, Op-Ed, "Sketchy Firm Behind Trump Dossier Is Stalling Investigators," New York Post , 6/24/17)
Fusion GPS Has Connections To The Russian Government
Fusion GPS Worked On A Lawsuit With Russian Lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya For Over Two Years. "The firm, Fusion GPS, will be one subject of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing next week that was planned well before the story broke of Trump Jr.'s June 2016 meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Fusion GPS says it had no involvement in the meeting although it did work on a lawsuit that involved Veselnitskaya for more than two years. The firm's work on the Trump dossier was on a different timeline." (Josh Rogin, "Inside The Link Between The Russian Lawyer Who Met Donald Trump Jr. And The Trump Dossier," The Washington Post , 7/11/17)
- Fusion GPS Was Hired To Defend Russian Businessman Denis Katsyv Whose Attorney In Russia Was Veselnitskaya. "Then again, Fusion GPS is also involved in the suspect conduct of Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. In 2013, well-connected Russian citizen Russian citizen Denis Katsyv turned to his attorney, Veselnitskaya, in order to refute money-laundering charges brought by then - U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. Veselnitskaya, not licensed in the United States, hired American law firm BakerHostetler. BakerHostetler hired Fusion GPS to develop information to help defend Katsyv and his enterprise, Prevezon Holdings. (John Batchelor, Opinion, "What I'd Really Like To Hear Explained About Russiagate," The Daily Beast , 7/24/17)
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