Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence agent who compiled the hoax dossier alleging ties between President Donald Trump and Russia, refuses to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s investigation into the origins of the Obama administration’s spying on then-candidate Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, according to Reuters.
A Reuters source close to Steele’s private investigation outfit, Orbis Business Intelligence, said the ex-spy has chosen not to answer questions from Connecticut’s U.S. Attorney John Durham, who was recently appointed by Attorney General William Barr to examine the probe’s origins. Reports of Steele’s unwillingness to cooperate with the Justice Department comes days after President Trump gave Barr authority to declassify intelligence materials related to the probe and ordered several law enforcement agencies, including the CIA and FBI to cooperate with Durham’s review.
In 2016, Steele was hired by the opposition research firm Fusion GPS tasked by attorneys for the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign to dig up dirt on President Trump. Steele’s dossier was used by the FBI to obtain a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to surveil members of the Trump campaign, namely, onetime Trump campaign foreign policy advisor Carter Page. FBI officials did not disclose explicitly to the FISA court that the dossier was paid for by the DNC or the Clinton campaign. However, the bureau did indicate that the document was produced as opposition research.
House Dem back in the spotlight as brother faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted
Platner drops out of crucial Senate race after bombshell rape allegation torpedoes campaign
Mike Rowe Sues Discovery for $2 Million in ‘Deadliest Catch’ Dispute
Erika’s Heartbreaking Reaction to a Woman She Saw in the Courtroom Crying Over Charlie’s Murder
Bernie-backed socialist who allied with Platner could supplant him on ballot
WATCH: Dana White drops 2028 hints while raving about his favorite Trump cabinet secretary
Donald Trump sparks intrigue by ditching new Qatari jet for old Air Force One
Trump contemplates assassinating more Iranian leaders, warns he ‘may be gone too’ after topping Tehran’s ‘kill list’
Alleged Jan. 6 pipe bomber Brian Cole Jr.’s trial set for February
Three-time deported illegal immigrant charged with killing North Carolina girl, 6, after running stop sign
West Virginia town fires entire police force after chief resigns, sergeant alleges evidence room break-in
Doctors Issue Warnings as Popular Toy Inflicts Horrific Injuries on Kids
Trump Opts Against Flying New Air Force One Home from Turkey
Trump envoy warns China’s power move at sea is threat ‘we cannot afford to ignore’
Socialists set sights on Taylor Swift after ‘tacky’ NYC wedding sparks left-wing backlash
In a recent interview with the Fox News Channel, Barr said his department is examining if “government officials abused their power and put their thumb on the scale” at the start of the FBI’s counterintelligence operation.
“I’ve been trying to get answers to the questions, and I’ve found that a lot of the answers have been inadequate, and some of the explanations I’ve gotten don’t hang together. In a sense, I have more questions today than when I first started,” the attorney general told anchor Bill Hemmer.
“The source close to Steele’s company said Steele would not cooperate with Durham’s probe but might cooperate with a parallel inquiry by the Justice Department’s Inspector General into how U.S. law enforcement agencies handled pre-election investigations into both Trump and Clinton,” according to Reuters.
Story cited here.
