Washington Post: Clinton campaign, DNC paid for research that led to Russia dossier
The Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped fund research that resulted in a now-famous dossier containing allegations about President Trump’s connections to Russia and possible coordination between his campaign and the Kremlin, people familiar with the matter said.
Marc E. Elias, a lawyer representing the Clinton campaign and the DNC, retained Fusion GPS, a Washington firm, to conduct the research.
After that, Fusion GPS hired dossier author Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer with ties to the FBI and the U.S. intelligence community, according to those people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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WNU Editor: My mouth dropped when I read this article in the Washington Post this evening .... from where I stand ... it looks like some employees at GPS Fusion (the firm behind the Russian dossier) are now talking and spilling everything to the Washington Post. Regular readers of this blog know that I have been skeptical of the Russian dossier since day one .... but I must admit that I never thought that the Clinton campaign would be this careless to have their fingerprints all over this dossier in such a direct manner. What I expected was the DNC and/or a friend of the Clintons to pay for this dossier .... but not the campaign itself. And talk about timing, it was only last week that President Trump suggested that it was either the Democrats, Russia, or the FBI that were behind the funding for this unverified dossier. So why all the fuss right now .... it is because of this dossier that we have had multiple investigations, wall to wall media coverage, and more importantly .... this Russian dossier is the reason why Robert Mueller's Special Counsel was set up to investigate if there was any collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians. Instead .... what we are now learning .... is that the ones who colluded with the Russians were the Clinton campaign via this research firm (GPS), former British Intelligence officer Christopher Steele, and Mr. Steele's Russian contacts who were probably Russian intelligence agents to boot. So what is next? If this Washington Post article is true .... the Mueller Commission will be under enormous pressure to justify why they should still continue with their investigation on the Trump campaign team when the reason why they were set up was because of an opposition research document that was funded and promoted by the Clinton campaign and the Democrat Party. If the answer from Robert Mueller is less than satisfactory but he still wants to continue with the investigation .... the perception will then be that the Mueller counsel is nothing more but an arm of the Clinton team and the Democrat Party. But it does not stop there. I expect hard questions in the coming days .... specifically on who in the Democrat campaign team were aware that they were the ones who were funding this dossier, and when did Hillary Clinton know about it .... or more to the point .... did she approve it? I expect some fireworks in the coming days and weeks, and I am curious to know what will other Democrats do since they have been using the Russian dossier to justify their attacks on President Trump since the election.
Update: Conservative pundits and Republicans are having a field day on this story .... but if I was them I would not. There is a lot of unverified information in this Washington Post story, and it comes from anonymous sources (and you all know how much I distrust anonymous sources).
Update #2: I am thinking of all the people who took this dossier seriously .... a dossier that was politically inspired and paid for by a campaign team. And who took it seriously .... the American intelligence community (CIA Director Brennan and Director of National Security Clapper), FBI Director Comey, senior lawmakers, much of the main stream media, even including it in the first formal intelligence briefing with President Trump after he was inaugurated. It makes you wonder .... are these people that easy to be duped?
More News On Reports That The Clinton Campaign And The Democrat Party Paid For The Russian Dossier Investigation And Report
Clinton campaign, Dems helped fund research for Trump dossier: report -- The Hill
Hillary paid for notorious 'golden showers' dossier on Trump: Her campaign lawyer funded dirty tricks firm's research into his Russian links which came up with discredited claims -- Daily Mail
Clinton campaign, DNC helped fund research that led to salacious Trump dossier, report says -- FOX News
Hillary Clinton's campaign 'paid for research that led to Donald Trump Russia dossier by British spy' -- The Telegraph
Fusion GPS’ Trump Dossier Funded by Clinton, DNC: Report -- Heavy
We finally know who paid for the opposition research that led to the Trump-Russia dossier -- Business Insider