Report footnotes show FBI knew Russians had early knowledge of Steele material

cbsnews ^ | 4/15/2020 | Catherine Herridge

[bitt]

Newly declassified footnotes from a government report, first obtained by CBS News, show that despite multiple warnings about Russian targeting and the potential for disinformation, the FBI relied on the controversial Steele dossier to secure surveillance warrants for a Trump campaign aide before and after the 2016 election.

Among the revelations, a 2017 U.S. intelligence community report indicated that two individuals "affiliated" with Russian intelligence knew of former British spy Christopher Steele's "election investigation" in early July 2016, three months before the FBI would begin citing the dossier.

"..[A]n early June 2017 USIC (US Intelligence Community) report indicated that two persons affiliated with RIS (Russian Intelligence Services) were aware of Steele's election investigation in early July 2016," the footnote said. "The Supervisory Intel Analyst told us he was aware of these reports, but that he had no information as of June 2017 that Steele's election reporting source network had been penetrated or compromised."

The FBI first sought a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to wiretap Trump campaign aide Carter Page in October 2016, and relied in part on material from Steele.

The timing is notable because the June 2017 intelligence report was known to the FBI in the earliest days of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, which was opened weeks earlier, in May. The bureau had been tipped off that Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos had said that the campaign might get help from Russia on damaging information about Hillary Clinton.

Steele has insisted that his information was unverified. The New York Times noted last year that in a lawsuit deposition about the dossier, "Asked whether he took into account that some claims might be Russian fabrications, [Steele] replied, 'Yes.'" Steele was also asked during the deposition whether he warned Fusion GPS "that a central problem when you

[Ben Hecks]

Agree. It’s blame shifting time.

[Lurkinanloomin]

We’re not allowed to elect a President who would secure the border and restore the rule of law according to them.

[DesertRhino]

FBI cover story. They were tricked by Russians, get it? They were good honest patriots, trying to protect America from a threat. The only thing they are guilty of is being too zealous and taking no chances. And Hillary was right, and Steele was tricked too...

And we KNOW this because the FBI turned over a self incriminating document.

LOL... laughable.

[Lurkinanloomin]

The answer is obvious and it indicts the entire 0bama administration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which would expose EVERYONE in DC (except Trump) for their complicity in the Kenyanesian Usurpation.

That’s why nothing will be done.

[DesertRhino]

“How does Herridge get away with writing truth like this for CBS?”

Because it is spoon fed FBI excuse making propaganda designed to make their coup attempt look like an honest mistake. They were patriots, tricked by Dr. Evil, get it?

That’s why CBS is pushing it.

[Wuli]

Not very often mentioned is that London is the largest center, outside of Moscow, for Russian intelligence agents and Russian intelligence intrigue. It is not only filled with direct Russian agents, but tons of so called “ex pats” from Russia, acting as friends of the west but often found to use their British and Russian connections, serving interests in both directions. Steele likely did not have to go to Moscow directly, at all, to get whatever he got from Russians. He had enough Russian information suppliers right in London.

BUT anyone thinking Putin was not aware of what was going on with the Steele Dossier, and did nothing to contribute disinformation to it, simply gives too much credit to the Democrats and Steele alone, in their illicit project, and confuses their motives as discounting any motives Putin had on his own.