RNC Sends WaPo Dossier Story Out, Curiously Removes Line on Republican Funding

[DonViejo]

Source: Mediate




by Aidan McLaughlin | 8:06 am, October 25th, 2017

The Washington Post reported Tuesday night that the infamous Trump-Russia dossier, which contains salacious — and mostly unverified — claims about President Donald Trump, was funded by a lawyer representing the Clinton campaign and the DNC.

Now, it seems the RNC has jumped on the WaPo report, blasting it out as evidence that it was the Clinton campaign that colluded with Russia (The oppo-research was conducted by Washington firm Fusion GPS, which reportedly has ties to the Kremlin).

But, as Byron Tau of the Wall Street Journal points out, the RNC curiously removed a line from the WaPo report when circulating it. Namely, the one reporting that before the Democrat lawyer struck an agreement with the firm, “Fusion GPS’s research into Trump was funded by an unknown Republican client during the GOP primary.”

Link to tweet

On the official GOP website too, a blog post — boasting that the WaPo report shows the “Clinton campaign and the DNC paid a firm that’s known for doing business with the Kremlin” and “spent the last year lying about it” — also omits the line that reports Fusion was first funded by a Republican client.

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Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/online/rnc-sends-wapo-dossier-story-out-curiously-removes-line-on-republican-funding/

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[Blue_Adept]

1. I keep remembering that Jeb was the one that was either suspected of it

or it had been said at one point. Nobody'll own up to it at this point until the money is formally traced tho.

[Wwcd]

2. Same here. I thought everyone knew that.

Curious who it was then, if not Jeb

[Blue_Adept]

3. I did too when I saw that it was suddenly unknown

I thought it was a matter of fact from last year when things first surfaced and I've been wondering if I really just misremembered or misattributed it.

[TeapotInATempest]

5. Me too.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who remembers that.

[riversedge]

18. and still we do not know. But I do not think that is important. What is important is for

the media to report that it was the Republicans who started the Steele report (which they, for the most part, neglect to do).


Oh, I am curious who it is but not that much at this point as I am sure it will drip out sooner or later.

[B Stieg]

4. "Mostly unverified"???

Then why are the administration and their C/conservative ilk so worried about what it says (especially to Mueller) as to set up yet another dog and pony show aimed at distraction and stoking the base with attacks on the same old boogywoman and man of color?

In its sloth and embrace of supposed neutrality, the "press" just echoes whatever narrative the powers that be wish to float.

Apparently, membership in the Fourth and Fifth Estates in America today does no more than give you the right to be a bobblehead.

Triumph of the Spectacle.

[TeapotInATempest]

6. Yes, our media has a lot to answer for.

It's so "unverified" that the GOP is investigating Hillary again.

[B2G]

7. Wasn't the dossier used to obtain FISA warrants?

I thought I recall reading that earlier this year, but there's been so much info out there I could be wrong.

[EL34x4]

10. Let's hope not.

It's quite possible that using unproven allegations before a FISA court could result in criminal charges.

[videohead5]

8. They did not use it

The DNC or Hillary did not use any of the information in the dossier so I don't know what the big deal is?

[B2G]

9. Did the FBI?

I believe they did.

How did the FBI get it?

[Grins]

11. Steele gave it to them.

He saw what he had and called his FBI and CIA contacts and gave them the dossier.

[truthisfreedom]

12. Every time they lie, they end up drawing attention

To their lies. They get more publicity for their manipulation than they do for their fake news.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. As, apparently, does the NYT article on it - more serious

What’s Up With The Times Piece on Elias, Steele and Fusion GPS?

But here’s what jumps out at me about the Times story: what’s not included. Let me list a few points.

* The fact that it has been publicly known for more than a year that the Fusion GPS investigation of Trump’s ties to Russia began with funding from Republicans and was later funded by Democrats. This has been known since David Corn’s report in October 2016 and reported in numerous other reports since. This is never mentioned in the Times article.

* The fact that the Fusion GPS’s investigation into Russia began as a project funded by Republicans. This is never mentioned in the Times report, although it’s alluded to in the letter from Perkins Coie Managing Partner Matthew J. Gehringer. (The precise timeline is this: Republicans hire Fusion GPS to investigate Trump business. Investigation quickly turns to focus on Trump’s ties to Russia. Republicans lose interest. Elias agrees to continue the funding with money from DNC/HRC campaign. Steele brought in to go deeper into Russia ties.)

* The Times report can be read to suggest that the Clinton campaign and the DNC paid $12.4 million for the Fusion GPS research. But as the Post notes, these tabulations date back to June and November 2015, fully a year before Elias signed up Fusion GPS. So by definition, it can’t all be for that research.

* Leaving out the first two points makes the Times piece seem quite misleading to me. In a different category is another detail left out. As the Post notes, the Democrats stopped funding the Fusion GPS the day before the election. But Steele had already shared his findings with the FBI because he was so alarmed by what he had found. The FBI was sufficiently disturbed and confident in Steele’s work that they agreed to continue funding his work. (They eventually stopped once Steele’s name became public.) This is highly relevant information for determining the quality and credibility of Steele’s findings. But it doesn’t appear in the Times report even though the lede of the Times report focuses squarely on Republican accusations about Steele and Fusion GPS.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/whats-up-with-the-times-piece-on-elias-steele-and-fusion-gps#more-1091386

[Achilleaze]

17. Good, important analysis

[boguspotus]

14. trumpsters I know think this is on the same level as trump and crew working with the Russians:

What laws did the DNC or Hillary campaign break? Can anyone tell me? And these people say I'm the political extremist.

[riversedge]

15. Raw Story: Republicans conveniently ignore their financing of Trump dossier

glad to see this story is getting some coverage.


https://www.rawstory.com/2017/10/republicans-conveniently-ignore-their-financing-of-trump-dossier/




Republicans conveniently ignore their financing of Trump dossier

25 Oct 2017 at 18:10 ET

[Sunlei]

16. funded by an unknown Republican during the GOP primary and the D turned it over to authorities!!