Russia dirty dossier investigators: Reporters were paid to spread collusion claims

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The Democrat’s Russia canard designed to destroy Trump and remove him from office continues to blow up in their faces.  A couple of days ago, it was revealedin the ongoing investigation that it was Hillary Clinton that paid for the dirty, dishonest dossier on Trump (created by …get this, the Russians). Now we know why the media is not covering this blockbuster story apart from their notorious leftwing bias – these corrupt misanthropes were being paid to spread the filth. Remember, this was not opposition research.

Opposition research is based on fact, from voting records, court records and public statements, to tax returns and business relationships. Fusion GPS’s dossier, on the other hand, was misinformation. It was not opposition research because it was not based on fact.

According to multiple media reports, beyond an alphabet soup of unnamed Russian intelligence sources and spreading hearsay, the material is largely drawn from news clips and Google internet search materials and left-wing conspiracy sites. Given Fusion GPS’s dependence on Russian gossip spread by Vladimir Putin’s spies, there is a good case to be made that Fusion GPS more deeply colluded with the Russians than anyone else. (he Hill:)

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Paying journalists to run defamation and libel is not protected under the First Amendment.

And if anyone colluded with the Russians – it was Hillary and Fusion… and the press.

ABC News is nervous: Republicans continue probe of Fusion GPS even after dossier funders identified

Rep. Devin Nunes (right), chairman of the House Permanent Select committee on intelligence, has widened the net in the panel's investigation into funding of a Russia dossier against Donald Trump. He now wants the names of journalists and law firms that Fusion GPS might have paid. (Associated Press/File)

Rep. Devin Nunes (right), chairman of the House Permanent Select committee on intelligence, has widened the net in the panel’s investigation into funding of a Russia dossier against Donald Trump. He now wants the names of journalists and law firms … more >

The role of reporters is taking on added importance in federal court battles over the infamous Russia dossier that leveled unverified charges of collusion against the Donald Trump campaign.

In U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Fusion GPS, the dossier’s financier via the Democratic Party and the Hillary Clinton campaign money, is fighting a House committee chairman’s bid to find out if the opposition research firm paid journalists.

In U.S. District Court in Florida, a self-described dossier victim wants a judge to order the news website BuzzFeed, which published the dossier in full, to disclose who gave it to them.

 The cases underscore how a Moscow-sourced memorandum created as opposition research against Donald Trump in the presidential campaign last year often dictates the debate about politics and reporters’ rights in Washington.

Rep. Devin Nunes, California Republican and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, signed a subpoena to force a bank to turn over Fusion’s financial records. He wants to know who paid for the dossier, which was written in a series of 18 memos by former British spy Christopher Steele. He relied almost exclusively on unidentified Kremlin sources.

Fusion went to federal court to block the move, but the law firm Perkins Coie LLP, whose partner Marc E. Elias is the Clinton’s campaign’s general counsel, intervened. It filed a letter acknowledging it had paid Fusion for the dossier on behalf of Democrats. Fusion and Mr. Nunes then worked out an agreement on access to some of the firm’s financial records.

But the dispute heightened again Friday as Fusion renewed its request for a judge to block the subpoena because Mr. Nunes wants more information. The widened net includes the names of journalists and law firms that Fusion might have paid.

“It is contrived to substitute for the ridiculous notion that Intervenor [the House committee] can demand documents in an overbroad subpoena from a third party and not explain what it is looking for or why,” said a memorandum filed by Fusion’s law firm, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, for U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan.

On the demand for information on any payments to journalists, Fusion cited First Amendment protection and confidentiality. It did not deny it had paid journalists.

“And they are not pertinent, as they are not related to Russia or Donald Trump,” Fusion argues. “In attempting to justify the overbroad subpoena earlier, Intervenor could have, but of course did not, argue the relevance to its inquiry of any such payments.”

In the court battle with Mr. Nunes, Fusion has likened itself to a group of journalists with all associated rights. Its founders include former Wall Street Journal reporters Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch.

Mr. Fritsch filed a declaration, saying: “Our techniques and investigative tools for our research and investigation go beyond standard open-source methods. Fusion GPS has an extensive network of domestic and international contacts, built up over many years of reporting.”

In Florida, Russian technology entrepreneur Aleksej Gubarev, chief of Internet-platform provider XBT Holding, is suing BuzzFeed for libel.

The Steele dossier accused Mr. Gubarev of overseeing a botnet operation that flooded Democrats’ computers with porn, viruses and spyware. It said the operation was financed by the FSB, Russia’s intelligence agency.

Mr. Steele has acknowledged in a London libel case brought by Mr. Gubarev that he never confirmed the information and just passed it along to Fusion GPS as his final memo in December.

Sources of controversy

Fusion, which briefed a number of Washington reporters on Mr. Steele’s unverified assertions, has said it was not the source of BuzzFeed’s copy.

Mr. Gubarev’s attorneys are trying to find out who was and whether that person warned the editors that the document was not verified.

“And as you might imagine, if you are an online storage company, to have the accusation that you are an FSB agent — former KGB, now FSB — that you are essentially co-opted by the FSB and you are launching hacking against the Democratic Party, doesn’t do wonders for your business,” attorney Evan Fray-Witzer argued at a September hearing.

He added: “There is only one way to know what the motivation was in giving the document and what was said to BuzzFeed when they received the document.”

Katherine M. Bolger, BuzzFeed’s attorney, said various states protect source confidentiality through so-called shield laws.

What’s more, since the dossier was the subject of a federal investigation when it was posted in January, BuzzFeed had complete legal freedom to report on it whether true or not, she argued.

“If the United States government is investigating allegations, the press is free to report on them, period,” Ms. Bolger said.

Ms. Bolger is demanding XBT data to determine if any of the Russian hacking on the Democrats went through the company’s servers.

A federal judge’s ruling is expected this month.

BuzzFeed has filed requests with federal agencies for documents detailing the FBI’s dossier handling.

In his London court filing, Mr. Steele told of how he traveled to Washington at Fusion’s request and briefed Washington reporters in September during the campaign.

He said through his attorneys that he gave explicit instructions that the information from Kremlin sources must be verified and that they should not quote the dossier.

“The second defendant [Mr. Steele] understood that the information provided might be used for the purpose of further research but would not be published or attributed,” the filing stated. “None of the journalists raised any objections.”

Yet, after the briefing, some of Mr. Steele’s claims did surface in press reports and Democratic talking points to buttress the charge that the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to interfere in the election.

The McCain connection

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, Arizona Republican, is one person known to have possessed a dossier hard copy through a complex set of maneuvers with Mr. Steele. The senator ended up handing a copy to then-FBI Director James B. Comey weeks after the election when Mr. Trump was president-elect.

A chronology of events would indicate that Mr. Comey had acquired the copy, during the election campaign, from a source not yet identified publicly.

Mr. McCain denied being BuzzFeed’s source.

“I gave it to no one except for the director of the FBI. I don’t know why you’re digging this up now,” Mr. McCain told The Daily Caller last month.

The Steele court document, which was filed in the Florida case last month, detailed how Mr. McCain acquired the copy. A business associate of Mr. Steele’s — Andrew Wood, a former British ambassador to Moscow — informed the senator of its existence.

Mr. McCain then dispatched an aide, David Kramer, to Surrey, England, to meet with Mr. Steele on Nov. 28. Mr. Kramer is a former State Department assistant secretary and scholar at Mr. McCain’s think tank in Arizona.

Sometime later, Mr. Steele sent the dossier in a secure mode to the senator, who hand-delivered it to Mr. Comey. He later provided his last memo, in December, to Mr. McCain, Fusion GPS and the United Kingdom government.

Here is how Mr. Steele described the handoff in his latest court filing: “The defendants [Mr. Steele, Orbis Business Intelligence] understood that the contents of the memoranda would be treated in the strictest confidence and would only be used by Senator McCain in his official capacity for the sole purpose of analyzing, investigating and verifying their contents to enable such action to be taken as necessary for the purposes of protecting US national security.

“[Mr. Steele] expressly informed Mr. Kramer that the pre-election memoranda were only to be used for this exclusive purpose before he showed Mr. Kramer any of the memoranda. Mr. Kramer was not at this time provided with copies of the memoranda that had been prepared as at that date, but was shown copies.”

A Washington Times analysis of Mr. Steele’s core charges against individuals such as Mr. Trump and Mr. Gubarev show that none has been confirmed publicly by any government investigation.

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Suresh
Suresh
6 years ago

This should not surprise anyone who knows how corrupt media, politicians, celebs have been.

And the Vile Left/liberal Pro-islam crooks get away with sexual harrassment, intimidation and Prostitution and then intimidate / shut down those who oppose them http://bit.ly/2xH8sZM

…while claiming to be morally superior to the “deplorables”!

Jan Favre
Jan Favre
6 years ago

The Leftist are heating up the so called conjuration of Russia with Trump for pure anti Christianism. The reason they hate Russia is explained in the following youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHmJK0ctXMk

Singleshot
Singleshot
6 years ago

I have been stating that Russian collusion is non-existant, at least between the Russians and Trump. Having made numerous posts on this, Pamela Geller’s website, I have learned a few things:

First: the idiotic womb rejects who monitor this site are both lethergic in intellectual value and/or very onesided and politically correct in their presumptions.

Second: I am beginning to believe that Pamela Geller, like Hannity’s FOX and other networks, is nothing more than an ego trip on a ride through the tunnel of power gathering while building an ensemble of warrior pity.

Many, if not all of my posts are specific and to the point. For example: I boast more anger and hatred towards islam and its muslim puppets and teers, than most who boast an anger towards islam. I have said that the KKK, Hitler/neoNazi’s are choirboys compared to islam and the BoweL Movement (known as blm for you intellectuals). I have made my absolute conclusions known:

To eternally destroy islam, in its entirety, from birth to elder as in every muslim man, woman and child. ALL MUST GO!!

Then, I have said that the NRA is both anti-American AND anti-Constitutional. Recently, I saw a You Tube video showing psychotic, womb rejected and inbred puppets, using HELICOPTERS with automatic weapons, to include machine guns, to literally slaughter, murder, and blatantly kill innocent herds of animals from the air and that is one of the many criminally deviant acts supported by the NRA.

Why does PG not condemn the NRA and Hannity for covertly and overtly supporting islam terror under the guides of the 2nd Amendment. The NRA does not support the NO FLY list because it infringes the “rights” of potentially eroneous names on the NO FLY list who maybe innocent…..and other dislikes….

As a career retired U.S. Army Soldier of both war and peace, a nonhyphenated republican born and bred on patriotic and family values, and an educated real and true American, I am a firm and absolute supporter of the 2nd Amendment. In the United States of America, Islam gets away with murder and so does the NRA.

For the 2nd time in a month, people are murdered enmasse, at the hands of a man with a weapon that should ONLY be available to military and law enforcement, period, plain and simple. Regardless of bump stock or stock stock, these weapons are too much responsibility for most people including gullible NRA puppets.

America is under seige by 3 elements all of which are antiAmerican: technology, islam, and criminal deviants like NRA, blm, and political frauds…….

famouswolf
famouswolf
6 years ago

This joker ‘Singleshot’…You have got to be kidding me. Comparing the NRA to islam and blm? What an unmitigated fool and liar. He is no supporter of the 2nd Amendment, I seriously doubt he is a veteran of any sort, and the only way he or anyone else will get my AR 15 is over my cold dead body. NO ONE tells me what firearms I can own and have a natural right to own, a right I was born with and intend to keep no matter the cost!

Heather
Heather
6 years ago
Reply to  famouswolf

Google is paying 97$ per hour,with weekly payouts.You can also avail this.
On tuesday I got a great new Land Rover Range Rover from having earned $11752 this last four weeks..with-out any doubt it’s the most-comfortable job I have ever done .. It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don’t check it
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Singleshot
Singleshot
6 years ago
Reply to  famouswolf

You are nothing more than a puppet of the nra. That makes you the JOKE, not to mention a lethergic womb reject without purpose.

Unmitigated fool and liar? That statement alone makes you the poster child for DNA flaw. Unlike your idiotic filth, I am a CAREER veteran of BOTH war and peace. You have not the understanding of the 2nd amendment, nor do you have the intellectual capacity to engage the 2nd amendment except to say “………my cold dead body”…..

NRA is a covert supporter of both islam and blm. The NRA does not support the NO FLY list of whichbthe purpose is to prevent criminal deviants AND Islamists to get legal access to weapons. The NRA applauds municipalities and states who either dont require weapons training and/or more solid background checks. The NRA approves of the murder, slaughter, and no reason at all, killing of animals especially with Assault weapons and/or machine guns…FROM HELICOPTERS.. You know how I know? Maybe if you shut that garbage can of a mouth and did your research, you’d understand purpose and truths based upon facts.

I know both, the value of life AND the purpose of a weapon as both were my career and a necessity on the battlefield.. Of which you know nothing about

famouswolf
famouswolf
6 years ago
Reply to  Singleshot

Wa wa wa. What the hell are you, five years old? Did mommy drop you on your widdle head?
Go clean your damn diaper and get a life, I ain’t interested.

Singleshot
Singleshot
6 years ago
Reply to  famouswolf

Hey womb reject boy…

Typical poocie boy.. No intellectual value and certainly not holding a pair. No argument or debate, not that there is any, but only words coming from a fella with an azz whole for a mouth…..

Crawl back inside that garbage can from which you fell, shutup, and wait…..

Now go away

John Nosser
John Nosser
6 years ago
Reply to  Singleshot

Singleshot Get back on topic- this discussion does not belong here. It all needs to be deleted! You are trying to change the subject. FYI the original post is about the fake dossier on Donald Trump. Comment on that or stay out of the discussion.

Singleshot
Singleshot
6 years ago
Reply to  John Nosser

HEY IDIOT….

I am quite capable of blending topic. And I was on topic blending the many subject manner, but as it is, tunnel worshippers like yourself have not the intellectual balance to blend subject matter. And so, while I am more anti islamic and anti liberal than PG herself, it is they who delete my write and prose because I call it….

SO GO AWAY………..

John Nosser
John Nosser
6 years ago
Reply to  Singleshot

What you want to discuss is the entire portfolio of possible topics, which anybody can do. Stay focused and it makes for better discussion, otherwise it is too diffuse. Not sure why you are taking such offense and coming at me with ad hominem attacks. You are acting more like a troll. If you can’t contain yourself maybe you should go away. I have been with Pamela since the beginning of her blog in 2001. I am not going anywhere. Deal with it or not.

Jack
Jack
6 years ago
Reply to  famouswolf

famouswolf,
I just visited Singleshot’s info site and am totally confounded. He has so many right and rational beliefs that one is blindsided by his loathing for the NRA and the second amendment. I don’t know what has created this confusion of fact and phobia but responding to Singleshot’s posts just provides another opportunity to hop back up on his poorly constructed soap box to deride others.

Drew the Infidel
Drew the Infidel
6 years ago

Remember that this counterfeit “dossier” was generated by a former British spy with disinformation gleaned from Russian government functionaries. The only Americans with their fingers in the pie are the colluding Democrats.

This is NOT opposition research. Were President Trump not a public figure, he would have legal recourse through the laws against libel and slander.

Larenzo1
Larenzo1
6 years ago

He still may have some recourse have to wait and see. John McCain is a dirty bastard.

freepetta
freepetta
6 years ago
Reply to  Larenzo1

McCain is dying if I were him I’d come clean to the American people as he is getting ready to meet his maker.

Steve
Steve
6 years ago
Reply to  freepetta

McCain the Parakeet
comment image

John Nosser
John Nosser
6 years ago

Not only will the Democrats and others face criminal charges, but may well face civil charges. Being a public figure in this case will be a weak defense as will any other protections of the media. The whole fake story was designed to intentionally damage Trump and has, therefore things must be made right. Some legal recourse is also due in a civil setting. It will be for libel.

James Stamulis
James Stamulis
6 years ago

Those reporters need to be indicted as well and then Trump should sue each and every news network that they worked for.

garry pollackD
garry pollack
6 years ago
Reply to  James Stamulis

& claiming 1st Amend rights to spread this filth!!!

AlgorithmicAnalystD
AlgorithmicAnalyst
6 years ago

Classic type of disinformation campaign, right out of the Cold War.

Voytek Gagalka
Voytek Gagalka
6 years ago

It could be a good plot for a novel. But don’t expect Stephen King to write it, albeit in some circles it would be the horror story indeed.

Dan Knight
Dan Knight
6 years ago

Yeah, Demokkkrats can have a whole team of Clintonistas fed on the taxpayers’ dime for a fishing expedition, but Nunes has to be ‘specific?’ … Beyond Superlatives.

Mahou Shoujo
Mahou Shoujo
6 years ago

The lame stream media have been bought and paid for by anyone who need a media whore. todays lame stream media have no credibility, if not for the used car and and grocery store advertising, no one would read it.

freepetta
freepetta
6 years ago

This court case is like Slime Vs Slime. Why would HilPig waste 9 million bucks on such a bunch of BS?

I guess I can answer my own question. It’s because HilPig is the most vile, disgusting, despicable, corrupt, incompetent, trashy, power hungry, lying, dirty POS!! I think ? that accurately describes her.

Steve
Steve
6 years ago

Trump should make Devin Nunez the next AG. He acts like someone who is not bought!

John Nosser
John Nosser
6 years ago

Clinton may have paid for the report, but it was McCain who gave a copy to Comey who subsequently started an investigation of an unverified document. Once the investigation started, BuzzFeed ran with the unverified story of the dossier even though told by Mr. Steele not to. This then caused all the major news sources to run with it. So the sources of this libel fall squarely on Clinton for paying for the story, McCain for giving the FBI a copy, and BuzzFeed for beginning the public dissemination of the fake dossier as well as all who promoted the story as though it were true. In addition to various criminal charges all these individuals could also face civil charges in libel suits brought by all harmed by this fake story. God is Great! Praise Him!

John Nosser
John Nosser
6 years ago

One thing to note: the news media is not protected in a libel suit, if it harms various people and it can be proven to be untrue, which it could have easily been if an attempt to verify it had been made. They didn’t care who they hurt or whether the story was true or not, they just wanted to hurt Trump. Now it has backfired on them big time, and they will all face the consequences.

Peter Evans
Peter Evans
6 years ago
Reply to  John Nosser

They should John but this BS has been going on with the Dems and Clintons since before they 2012 election, with what consequences ??…….. None

John Nosser
John Nosser
6 years ago
Reply to  John Nosser

Agreed, but don’t lose hope. Sessions is being pressured to appoint a special prosecutor who will start with the collusion of the Dems and Clinton with the Russians. Sooner or later consequences should come. I am following the rest of the biblical prophecy of Cyrus after Babylon falls. Babylon fell this time when Trump won the election, now I am waiting on the rest of the prophesy to be fulfilled. The consequences the enemies of Cyrus, whom God chose, subsequently suffered.

Timshel54
Timshel54
6 years ago

Why is McCain being coy about all of this?

Further – What Republican Senator who hosts the “Sedona Forum”… a McCain Institute sponsored event which takes place every year, would have Hillary Clinton along with other globalists as a guest speaker?. John McCain that’s who. So enamoured with Hillary is John McCain that he still plasters her picture on the Sedona forum webpage.

https://www.thesedonaforum.org/

Michael Fremer
Michael Fremer
6 years ago

wow is Pam a liar! The dossier was originally paid for by REPUBLICANS. After Trump was nominated REPUBLICANS gave up on it and Democrats took it over. OPPOSITION RESEARCH is commonplace in ALL ELECTIONS. MOST of what’s in that REAL dossier has proven to be accurate. Mueller will finally take down this clown.

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