Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:58 pm
The dossier that wouldn’t go away. Some got distracted by the urine aspects, but the real issue is whether or not Donald Trump has been compromised by Russia. It’s been reported Friday evening that the intel compiled by the former British spy has gained credibility among law enforcement.
In January, reports said the intel community was investigating claims that Russia had compromised Trump, and had damaging personal and financial information on then President-elect. Those reports haven’t gone away, and unlike accusations that they were false, they are gaining credibility among the law enforcement according to CBS and CNN.
CNN reported Friday evening, “For the first time, US investigators say they have corroborated some of the communications detailed in a 35-page dossier compiled by a former British intelligence agent, multiple current and former US law enforcement and intelligence officials tell CNN.”
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
The salacious aspects of the dossier haven’t been corroborated, but other aspects of the dossier have been corroborated. “The corroboration, based on intercepted communications, has given US intelligence and law enforcement ‘greater confidence’ in the credibility of some aspects of the dossier as they continue to actively investigate its contents, these sources say.”
In response, the Trump White House accused CNN of being “fake news.
However, CBS News’s sources concurred with CNN’s report:
@CBSNews has learned that the 35-page dossier compiled by a former British spy is gaining credibility among law enforcement.
— Robert Gifford (@giff18) February 10, 2017
CBS News’ Senior Producer Robert Gifford continued, “Before he was sworn in as POTUS, Trump dismissed the dossier, but sources tell @CBSNews that investigators continue to vet it.”
“At issue is whether Russian govt gathered compromising info on POTUS during his years of doing biz in country as a private citizen.”
“FBI is leading probe, but several intel agencies also involved. Typically a probe of this scale would involve sources/methods of CIA, NSA.”
Add this in with NBC’s report Friday evening that Russia is considering returning Snowden to the U.S. to ‘curry favor’ with Trump and the bombshell report that Trump’s National Security Adviser has possibly committed a crime violating the Logan Act, when he repeatedly during the campaign and transition, undermined President Obama’s sanctions on Russia.
On Air Force One heading to his resort with the Japanese Prime Minister, Trump was asked to respond to the Washington Post report that Gen. Flynn possibly violated the Logan Act by discussing sanctions with Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S. multiple times during the campaign and the transition.
“I don’t know about that. I haven’t seen it. What report is that? I haven’t seen that. I’ll look into that,” President Trump said according to a pool report sent to PoliticusUSA, denying that he has any knowledge that his own National Security adviser might have conspired with a hostile, aggressive actor against America’s goals.
Meanwhile:
Sen. Claire McCaskill has just sent a letter to FBI Dir. Comey asking for an immediate briefing on the Mike Flynn findings. pic.twitter.com/MZFVoKDGSv
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 10, 2017
There’s a lot of Russian smoke coming from the Trump White House today, and it has the potential to devastate his presidency. This possibly explosive dossier just took another step toward being solidly reliable information.
Listen to Sarah on the PoliticusUSA Pod on The Daily newsletter podcast here.
Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Connect with Sarah on Post, Mastodon @PoliticusSarah@Journa.Host, & Twitter.
