The Trump Dossier revisited.

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   Randy Godwinposted 6 years ago

   Today Sen. Diane Feinstein released the transcripts of the Richard Steele interview against the wishes of Republican committee members. Steel was worried about Trump being possibly blackmailed if he became POTUS and contacted the FBI as he should have. This was before the election and before the dossier was known about in either the Republican or Democratic camps. So this former "nothing burger" is sating a few appetites after all.
   
   Furthermore, Feinstein stated one death is already being suspected as a result of the information gathered in the dossier. Get them wagons in a circle, Trumpsters! 

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      Readmikenowposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Randy, you need to get the details right.  It was not Feinstein who stated there was a death, it was Fusion GPS attorney. No proof of anything.  Just a claim of it.  How would Feinstein know? Does she know more than what she is saying?
      
      Are you trying to get a reporter position with CNN?
      
      "Fusion GPS attorney Joshua Levy claimed that someone died as a result of the dossier: "Somebody's already been killed as a result of the publication of this dossier and no harm should come to anybody related to this honest work."
      
      https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/09/sen-dia … imony.html

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         Randy Godwinposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         Feinstein learned this from the interview, Mike. I didn't say she had personal knowledge of the death. Keep watching Fox and you'll be just fine.

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   Valeantposted 6 years ago

   I just read the first half.  Steele was not directed to go to the FBI by anyone.  He felt professionally obligated because candidate Trump was open to blackmail and there was open flow of information to his campaign, according to Steele.
   
   Ouch.

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      Randy Godwinposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Yep, and one reason for the Cons on the committee to want to keep it secret as this essentially disproved those on the right's blaming the dossier on Hillary. More to come soon, I'll wager. Moreover, the FBI informed Steele they already had some confirmation of Trump's involvement from someone inside Trump's own circle. You have to love a true patriot, even if he's simply an ally and not a citizen.

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   blueheronposted 6 years ago

   Congressional investigators finally being given access to FBI records about the Trump-Russia probe. This would include documentation regarding the FISA warrant.
   
   The Wall Street Journal has called for the public release of these documents. https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01- … lic-decide
   
   In view of the FBI's unbecoming reluctance to release these documents, I'm inclined to think that proponents of the Russiagate narrative are looking down the barrel of considerable surprise and disappointment.

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   Valeantposted 6 years ago

   Considering the FBI was already looking at trump campaign due to papadopolous bragging to the Australians, that whole opinion piece link will be likely disproven.

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   blueheronposted 6 years ago

   Well, I guess we'll find out if the FISA warrant was based on Papadopolous's blather.
   
   What evidence was actually presented to the court to obtain the FISA warrant?
   
   For much of 2017, the Trump-Russia story involved the so-called Steele dossier, funded by the Clinton campaign, opposition research worked on by the wife of a top Obama Justice Department official that was likely used by the feds to secure surveillance warrants against team Trump.
   
   That story has unraveled--to the point where the FBI has incriminated itself. It appears that a new narrative was required.
   
   What supposedly happened was, "Papadopoulos got drunk with some Australian diplomats at a fancy London wine bar, and like drunken pretend foreign policy experts tend to do, he opened his mouth. He said the Russians had dirt on Hillary. The Australians let the Americans know. And the Obama administration, horrified, just had to do something." http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/colu … story.html
   
   I would say that the suggestion that "the Russians had dirt on Hillary" is kind of belaboring the obvious. What with having an unsecured server, I think we can be quite sure that every nation in the world (and quite a few middle school computer nerds) has dirt on Hillary.
   
   Sounds kind of flimsy to me.
   
   The above link remarks, "To some, [Papadopoulos is] just a low-level “coffee boy” who [was] an unqualified 20-something boaster."
   
   There must be hundreds of nit-wits like Papadopoulos around, engaged in some form of political activity, talking about matters they know little or nothing about--to people they know little or nothing about. What we have here is an attempt to parlay the indiscretions of a Chatty Cathy nobody into a matter of international intrigue.
   
   Let's see what the FISA documents say.
   
   Did the FBI REALLY base its request for a FISA warrant on some shit some doofus said in a bar? Doubtful.

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      Randy Godwinposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Need another straw to grasp?  Sounds rather Fox Newsish.....     

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      GA Andersonposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Hello BlueHeron, you seem pretty confident in your adoption of the partisan, (in my view), claim he was just a low-level volunteer. A "coffee boy,", a "low-level unpaid volunteer," (Bannon and Kushnar(sp?) were also unpaid volunteers), and now - Chatty Cathy nobody?
      
      Doesn't the official announcement of his addition to the Foreign Policy team by Pres-elect Trump,  the personal endorsement - "he's an excellent guy, " his photographed participation with the entire Trump Foreign Policy team, and the other tid-bits about his contacts and tasking with and from other Trump campaign managers give you even a little concern?
      
      However, I will note that from what I have read, he was less than experienced, a bit of a braggart, and a bit full of himself. That's why I left your "nitwit" descriptor out of the list. But even that doesn't support the "coffee boy-type" claims. Why are you so sure he was?
      
      GA

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   Valeantposted 6 years ago

   For much of 2017, the Trump-Russia story involved the Steele dossier for people who watched Fox News. 
   
   For the rest of us, it involved the multiple contacts from members of Trump's campaign with Russians, the lying by those members on multiple occasions about those contacts (which should be a crime if the GOP wasn't so damned dishonest), the timing of the release of hacked e-mails by the Russians through Wikileaks in congruence with Trump campaign talking points, proven communication between Trump Jr. and Wikileaks, and the softening of the GOP platform towards Russian interests after Trump gained the nomination. 
   
   All of these things should be of concern of American citizens, but for some reason 33% of Americans care more about their party being in control than America's sovereignty.

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      Readmikenowposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Valeant, I always am amazed you don't have equal outrage at the Hillary campaign.  They did far worse.  They actually PAID for information from a foreign government to use in a campaign.  Where's the outrage? I often wonder if liberals can grasp the concept of double standards and hypocrisy.

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   Valeantposted 6 years ago

   Who exactly did they pay Mike?  Because if you're referring to Simpson's firm, they are based in Washington, DC.  Once contracted, the firm subcontracted out to Steele and others for other information pertaining to Trump's international business affairs.

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      Readmikenowposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      "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...they would not disclose the dollar amounts paid to Fusion GPS but that the campaign and the DNC shared the cost."
      
      https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na … d001b7892.

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         Randy Godwinposted 6 years agoin reply to this

         How much did the republicans--who originally started the dossier--pay, Mike? You should know this since you're so interested in what Hillary's lawyers paid.   And are you mad at them for doing so?

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   Valeantposted 6 years ago

   So, Mike, you're trying to make the claim that Fusion GPS is a 'foreign government' even though they are based out of Washington DC.  Got it.

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