They were trying to develop evidence that would make the dossier believable, at least to the extent they could justify the FISA warrant.
They manufactured that evidence. The wiretap warrants were for Carter Page. Page had been an FBI informant to help capture Russian spies in the past. When he joined the Trump advisory board the FBI turned on him, flipped the script, and said Page’s connections to Russians+Trump was evidence of possible infiltration justifying a wiretap. They appear to have omitted in their documents to the court that Page was an FBI cooperator.
They had the dossier, they said it was from a ‘reliable source’ But they knew Steele was biased, and was being paid by multiple sources including DNC/Hillary campaign money. Bruce Ohr told Congress that he informed the DOJ and FBI to be wary of Steele’s info in the summer of 2016.
The CIA among others also appear to have attempted to set-up George Popodoupolos in an elaborate scheme involving Maltese Professor Misfud, Cambridge Professor Halper, Australian Ambassador to the UK, and a fake meeting with a woman who was introduced as “Putin’s niece” to try to trap him and create the appearance that he was the link between Trump and Putin.
The Trump Tower meeting was a similar scheme to create the appearances of collusion.
The entire escapade was an intelligence operation targeting the political opposition. This is incredibly dangerous. Justice must be served for the rule of law and Republic to stand.