Posted on 02/02/2018 4:23:19 PM PST by Ennis85
From the moment that the so-called Steele dossier burst onto the public scene, thoughtful observers have wondered what role its “salacious and unverified” accusations played in the opening of the so-called Russia investigation, the counterintelligence inquiry into whether Trump officials “colluded” with Russians to defeat Hillary Clinton.
When news emerged that the dossier was the product of Clinton-campaign opposition research — laundered through a law firm — then the question got even more urgent. Was the entire investigation the fruit of the poisonous dossier? Did the FBI perhaps knowingly cooperate with Clinton operatives to launch an investigation with the (potential) intent to bring down a presidency?
At the end of last year, the New York Times published a furiously contested scoop claiming that the investigation actually began not because of the Steele dossier but rather because George Papadopoulos had popped up on the FBI’s radar. Here’s the Times:
During a night of heavy drinking at an upscale London bar in May 2016, George Papadopoulos, a young foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, made a startling revelation to Australia’s top diplomat in Britain: Russia had political dirt on Hillary Clinton. . . . . . . Exactly how much Mr. Papadopoulos said that night at the Kensington Wine Rooms with the Australian, Alexander Downer, is unclear. But two months later, when leaked Democratic emails began appearing online, Australian officials passed the information about Mr. Papadopoulos to their American counterparts, according to four current and former American and foreign officials with direct knowledge of the Australians’ role.
The Times claimed that this information “led the F.B.I. to open an investigation in July 2016 into Russia’s attempts to disrupt the election and whether any of President Trump’s associates conspired.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Never Trumper David French who was touted as a presidential candidate...
He has as much credibility as Wolf Blitzer. Go figure.
David French has lost all credibility and revealed himself many times to be a disingenuous hack for whom no claim is too misleading or unfair if it can be hurled against President Trump.
The best way to deal with French is to completely ignore him.
Ask French why did McCabe step down and he’ll know the answer to that, too.
The salacious and unverified dossier exposing, “dirt the Russians had on Trump” some how proves, “Trump was colluding with the Russians”!
You people just don’t get it!
I guess the McCabe statement totally passed this moron by. Instead, he believes an NYT report! Good Grief!
Only to be expected from NR, sadly.
#MAGA
Maybe French doesn’t know ... the “ambassador” was another stooge and donor to ... Clinton Foundation “
These responders, they don’t realize that this memo is but an opening salvo. All their lies are like cannon fodder.
Incoming!
Can we impeach President French?
The only flaw I see is the void between David French’s ears.
French is a NeverTrumper.
Won’t bother reading the article.
If he that smart, why is he still working at NR?
Explain to me how Papadopoulus’ drunken rant to an Australian diplomat concerning Russian dirt on Clinton could trigger an FBI investigation?
Why are we still posting crap from National Review?
Whatever Trump had to do to save the nation, I’m good with it.
National Review....home of Rich Lowry and Jonah Goldberg. Two of the blithering idiots that predicted an epic Trump failure including a crash in the economy and failure to get any tax legislation passed. Both of these hateful and jealous dipshits couldn’t work for Mad magazine.
“The investigation isn’t the fruit of the poisonous dossier (though the dossier did play a role); it existed before the dossier.”
This guy’s an idiot: The Dossier was (illegally) used to get a Fisa warrant.
The start of “The Investigation” is not the point of the memo.
Try again.
He is low hanging fruit.
The FBI was feeding the NY Times word for word, and that is obvious.
Talking about breaking the law.
More will come out on that, and maybe they will prosecute.
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