FBI once planned to pay former British spy who authored controversial Trump dossier

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post



By Tom Hamburger and Rosalind S. Helderman February 28 at 4:08 PM

The former British spy who authored a controversial dossier on behalf of Donald Trump’s political opponents alleging ties between Trump and Russia reached an agreement with the FBI a few weeks before the election for the bureau to pay him to continue his work, according to several people familiar with the arrangement.

The agreement to compensate former MI6 agent Christopher Steele came as U.S. intelligence agencies reached a consensus that the Russians had interfered in the presidential election by orchestrating hacks of Democratic Party email accounts.

While Trump has derided the dossier as “fake news” compiled by his political opponents, the FBI’s arrangement with Steele shows that bureau investigators considered him credible and found his line of inquiry to be worthy of pursuit.

Ultimately, the FBI did not pay Steele. Communications between the bureau and the former spy were interrupted as Steele’s now-famous dossier became the subject of news stories, congressional inquiries and presidential denials, according to the people familiar with the arrangement, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fbi-once-planned-to-pay-former-british-spy-who-authored-controversial-trump-dossier/2017/02/28/896ab470-facc-11e6-9845-576c69081518_story.html?pushid=breaking-news_1488316567&tid=notifi_push_breaking-news&utm_term=.ebfcb67f3ba6

[tenorly]

1. "Ultimately, the FBI did not pay Steele"

Translation: political considerations trumped the need to seriously investigate mounting evidence of treason on Cheeto's part.

[C Moon]

2. F@#!$()#@&%)$(&%)@(#*$)(#@*!!!!!!

[Hortensis]

3. Very interesting. And WHO holds that 19% ownership

Russian transferred in one of its state-owned oil companies, potentially worth many billions? According to Steele's dossier, it was to be payoff for getting the sanctions against Russia, ones keeping Russia (and Exxon) from developing oil fields, lifted.

[Hekate]

4. I hope Christopher Steele is still alive and well

[KewlKat]

5. Yeah, I've wondered the same thing. I hope he is alive but can't imagine having to live like that,

watching everyone, your back, etc.................

[Justice]

6. Was it leaked/was he exposed to break off communications and the investigation?

Hmm.