Barr: ‘Very Unusual’ For FBI To Rely On Steele Dossier Given ‘Clear Mistakes’

Attorney General William Barr said in an interview that aired Friday that he is investigating what role the Steele dossier played in the Russia probe, and that the salacious document had “a number of clear mistakes.”

“It’s a very unusual situation to have opposition research like that, especially one that on its face had a number of clear mistakes and a somewhat jejune analysis,” Barr told Fox News’ Bill Hemmer.

“And to use that to conduct counterintelligence against an American political campaign is a strange — would be strange development.”

In the interview, Barr spoke at length about an inquiry he launched at the Justice Department into the origins of the Russia investigation. He told The Wall Street Journal in an interview that the investigation is also focusing on what information U.S. intelligence agencies gathered on Trump campaign associates before the FBI formally opened its investigation in July 2016.

Florida man who contacted police about 1987 killing arrested in connection to cold case

Dramatic bodycam video captures NYPD officer rescuing woman from top of Brooklyn Bridge after emotional plea

Eight indicted over plan to attack White House UFC fight with drones and snipers

Israel shares intelligence warning Iran plotted new assassination attempt against Trump: report

Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase Consider Teaming Up for Scheme to Extract Higher Card Transaction Fees

Robinson’s Alleged Kirk Assassination Rifle and Chilling Messages on Bullet Casings Shown in Court

DHS plans costly crackdown on states that don’t cooperate on election security

Damning Tyler Robinson letter accidentally flashed during Charlie Kirk murder hearing

White House drapes tarps while completing Trump’s newest construction project

Disturbing Video: Texas Cop Tells Preacher She Is Going to Ticket Him for Speech That Offends ‘Pride’ Event Goers

Incredible Video: Hero NYPD Officer Rescues Distressed Woman from Jumping Off Brooklyn Bridge

Unearthed records reveal Dem mayor sought tax hike to fund DEI role ahead of key House race

Communist Door Dasher Admits Stealing Food from DHS Orders, Gets Fired After Freaking Out When Company Dared Confront Her

Teacher Sentenced Over Lewd Relationship with Middle School Student She Professed to Love

Black bear raiding a garbage can at Lake Tahoe garage triggers dramatic wildlife encounter

The FBI relied heavily on the Steele dossier, which was funded by the DNC and Clinton campaign, to obtain surveillance warrants against Carter Page, a Trump campaign adviser. But Republicans have accused the FBI of misleading the surveillance court by relying on the dossier given that its allegations were unverified.

Christopher Steele, a former British spy, claimed in the dossier that the Trump campaign was involved in a “well-developed conspiracy of co-operation” with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election. He alleged that Page and other Trump associates, like Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen, were at the center of the scheme.

But the special counsel’s report all but debunked the dossier’s central thesis, while dismissing one specific allegation about Cohen. The report said that prosecutors were unable to establish a conspiracy between the Trump team and Russia. It also said that Cohen did not visit Prague in August 2016, which is where the dossier claimed the former Trump lawyer went to pay off Russian hackers.

Steele and his client, Fusion GPS, shopped the dossier around to numerous journalists. Steele also provided memos from his dossier to the FBI and State Department.

Barr told Hemmer that the answers he has received so far about the origins of the investigations “aren’t sufficient.” He is reportedly working with the directors of the CIA, FBI and Office of National Intelligence on the inquiry.