....Steele was familiar to the FBI, in part because the bureau had previously hired him to help a U.S. inquiry into alleged corruption in the world soccer organization FIFA. The FBI sometimes pays informants, sources and outside investigators to assist in its work. Steele was known for the quality of his past work and for the knowledge he had developed over nearly 20 years working on Russia-related issues for British intelligence. The Washington Post was not able to determine how much the FBI intended to pay Steele had their relationship remained intact.
The dossier he produced last year alleged, among other things, that associates of Trump colluded with the Kremlin on cyberattacks on Democrats and that the Russians held compromising material about the Republican nominee.
These and other explosive claims have not been verified, and they have been vigorously denied by Trump and his allies.
The FBI, as well as the Senate Intelligence Committee, is investigating Russian interference in the election and alleged contacts between Trump’s associates and the Kremlin.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) told reporters that he had seen “no evidence so far” of Trump campaign contacts with Russia but said a bipartisan House inquiry would proceed so that “no stone is unturned.”
The revelation that the FBI agreed to pay Steele at the same time he was being paid by Clinton supporters to dig into Trump’s background could further strain relations between the law enforcement agency and the White House....
My take on this is that cia (wapo) is trying to stir up trouble between Trump and FBI.
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doubletake ago
... but it will be interesting to deconstruct the Clinton-Steele-FBI connection as well, and the press connections. There's got to be something about a candidate (out of office) using agency favors to win a presidential campaign ... No?
2impendingdoom ago
Nice point. I think they are presenting the argument that Steele claims to be MI 6 so Clinton hiring him wouldn't technically be agency favors, but I don't believe that either.