Changes

*'''Late June.'''  Justice Dept. seeks [[FISA]] warrant to eavesdrop on [[Michael T. Flynn]], Paul Manafort, Carter Page and [[George Papadopoulos]] (earlier reports listed Donald Trump, Carter Page, Paul Manafort and Boris Epshteyn). FISA court denies request.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/article/443768/obama-fisa-trump-wiretap-may-have-been-sought</ref> Ordinary procedures call for the [[Justice Department]] to ask a FISA Court for a warrant. It is improbable that [[Attorney General]] [[Loretta Lynch]] acted on her own against a presidential nominee of another party without consulting President Obama.<ref>https://youtu.be/5CSZKmssG2o</ref>

*'''Late June.'''  Justice Dept. seeks [[FISA]] warrant to eavesdrop on [[Michael T. Flynn]], Paul Manafort, Carter Page and [[George Papadopoulos]] (earlier reports listed Donald Trump, Carter Page, Paul Manafort and Boris Epshteyn). FISA court denies request.<ref>https://www.nationalreview.com/article/443768/obama-fisa-trump-wiretap-may-have-been-sought</ref> Ordinary procedures call for the [[Justice Department]] to ask a FISA Court for a warrant. It is improbable that [[Attorney General]] [[Loretta Lynch]] acted on her own against a presidential nominee of another party without consulting President Obama.<ref>https://youtu.be/5CSZKmssG2o</ref>

*FBI agent [[Peter Strzok]] has direct contact with Christopher Steele and receives preliminary draft of the ''[[Steele dossier]]''.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/lifting-the-steele-curtain-1510274070</ref> According to Robby Mook, the partial dossier information was also given to the DNC and Clinton campaign.

:*FBI agent [[Peter Strzok]] has direct contact with Christopher Steele and receives preliminary draft of the ''[[Steele dossier]]''.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/lifting-the-steele-curtain-1510274070</ref> According to Robby Mook, the partial dossier information was also given to the DNC and Clinton campaign.

*DCLeaks website begins publishing Democratic National Committee emails.

:*DCLeaks website begins publishing Democratic National Committee emails.

*The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) signs evidence-sharing agreement with FBI and will later publicly release the ''Black Ledger File'' implicating Paul Manafort in allegedly improper payments.

:*The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) signs evidence-sharing agreement with FBI and will later publicly release the ''Black Ledger File'' implicating Paul Manafort in allegedly improper payments.

*'''July.''' Ukraine minister of internal affairs Arsen Avakov attacks Trump and Trump campaign adviser Paul Manafort on [[Twitter]] and [[Facebook]], calling Trump “an even bigger danger to the US than terrorism.” Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk writes on Facebook that Trump has “challenged the very values of the free world.”

*'''July.''' Ukraine minister of internal affairs Arsen Avakov attacks Trump and Trump campaign adviser Paul Manafort on [[Twitter]] and [[Facebook]], calling Trump “an even bigger danger to the US than terrorism.” Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk writes on Facebook that Trump has “challenged the very values of the free world.”

*'''21 July.''' Anne Applebaum of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' writes a “Trump presidency could destabilize Europe.” The issue, she explained, was Trump’s positive attitude toward Putin. “The extent of the Trump-Russia business connection has already been laid out, by Franklin Foer at ''Slate'',” wrote Applebaum. She named Carter Page and his “long-standing connections to Russian companies.” Applebaum repeats the kenard that the “Trump’s campaign team helped alter the Republican party platform to remove support for Ukraine” from the Republican National Committee’s platform. Maybe, she hints, that was because of Trump aide Manafort’s ties to Ukrainian President [[Viktor Yanukovych|Victor Yanukovich]]. The Manafort-Yanukovich relationship is an important part of the ''Steele dossier''. So is the claim that in exchange for Russia releasing the DNC emails, “the TRUMP team had agreed to sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue.” For Applebaum, it was hard to understand why Trump would express skepticism about the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]], except to appease Putin. She referred to a recent interview in which Trump “cast doubt on the fundamental basis of transatlantic stability, NATO’s Article 5 guarantee: If Russia invades, he said, he’d have to think first before defending U.S. allies.”<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/how-a-trump-presidency-could-destabilize-europe/2016/07/21/9ec38a20-4f75-11e6-a422-83ab49ed5e6a_story.html?sw_bypass=true</ref> The talking points come directly from Hillary Clinton opposition research, FusionGPS and the ''Steele dossier''.

*'''21 July.''' Anne Applebaum of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' writes a “Trump presidency could destabilize Europe.” The issue, she explained, was Trump’s positive attitude toward Putin. “The extent of the Trump-Russia business connection has already been laid out, by Franklin Foer at ''Slate'',” wrote Applebaum. She named Carter Page and his “long-standing connections to Russian companies.” Applebaum repeats the kenard that the “Trump’s campaign team helped alter the Republican party platform to remove support for Ukraine” from the Republican National Committee’s platform. Maybe, she hints, that was because of Trump aide Manafort’s ties to Ukrainian President [[Viktor Yanukovych|Victor Yanukovich]]. The Manafort-Yanukovich relationship is an important part of the ''Steele dossier''. So is the claim that in exchange for Russia releasing the DNC emails, “the TRUMP team had agreed to sideline Russian intervention in Ukraine as a campaign issue.” For Applebaum, it was hard to understand why Trump would express skepticism about the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]], except to appease Putin. She referred to a recent interview in which Trump “cast doubt on the fundamental basis of transatlantic stability, NATO’s Article 5 guarantee: If Russia invades, he said, he’d have to think first before defending U.S. allies.”<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/how-a-trump-presidency-could-destabilize-europe/2016/07/21/9ec38a20-4f75-11e6-a422-83ab49ed5e6a_story.html?sw_bypass=true</ref> The talking points come directly from Hillary Clinton opposition research, FusionGPS and the ''Steele dossier''.

*Jeffrey Goldberg of ''[[The Atlantic]]'' publishes an article entitled, ''It’s Official: Hillary Clinton is Running Against Vladimir Putin'' using the same opposition research material from the ''Steele dossier'' paid for by Hillary Clinton: “The Republican nominee for president, Donald J. Trump, has chosen this week to unmask himself as a ''de facto'' agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Trump’s admiration for Putin and other “equivocating, mercenary statements are unprecedented in the history of Republican foreign policymaking.” However, insofar as Trump’s fundamental aim was to find some common ground with Putin, it’s a goal that has been a 25-year U.S. policy constant across party lines. Starting with George W.H. Bush, every American commander-in-chief since the end of the Cold War sought to “reset” relations with Russia. But Trump, according to Goldberg, was different. “Trump’s understanding of America’s role in the world aligns with Russia’s geostrategic interests.” Goldberg alleged “watered down” the RNC’s platform on Ukraine and “questioned whether the U.S., under his leadership, would keep its [NATO] commitments,” including Article 5. Thus, Goldberg concluded: “Donald Trump, should he be elected president, would bring an end to the postwar international order.”<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/07/clinton-trump-putin-nato/492332/</ref>

:*Jeffrey Goldberg of ''[[The Atlantic]]'' publishes an article entitled, ''It’s Official: Hillary Clinton is Running Against Vladimir Putin'' using the same opposition research material from the ''Steele dossier'' paid for by Hillary Clinton: “The Republican nominee for president, Donald J. Trump, has chosen this week to unmask himself as a ''de facto'' agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin.” Trump’s admiration for Putin and other “equivocating, mercenary statements are unprecedented in the history of Republican foreign policymaking.” However, insofar as Trump’s fundamental aim was to find some common ground with Putin, it’s a goal that has been a 25-year U.S. policy constant across party lines. Starting with George W.H. Bush, every American commander-in-chief since the end of the Cold War sought to “reset” relations with Russia. But Trump, according to Goldberg, was different. “Trump’s understanding of America’s role in the world aligns with Russia’s geostrategic interests.” Goldberg alleged “watered down” the RNC’s platform on Ukraine and “questioned whether the U.S., under his leadership, would keep its [NATO] commitments,” including Article 5. Thus, Goldberg concluded: “Donald Trump, should he be elected president, would bring an end to the postwar international order.”<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/07/clinton-trump-putin-nato/492332/</ref>

*'''30 July.''' '''[[Bruce Ohr]], [[Nellie Ohr]], Christopher Steele have breakfast''' at the Washington Mayflower Hotel. Also present at the breakfast meeting was a fourth individual, described by Ohr as “an associate of Mr. Steele’s, another gentleman, younger fellow. I didn’t catch his name.”  

*'''30 July.''' '''[[Bruce Ohr]], [[Nellie Ohr]], Christopher Steele have breakfast''' at the Washington Mayflower Hotel. Also present at the breakfast meeting was a fourth individual, described by Ohr as “an associate of Mr. Steele’s, another gentleman, younger fellow. I didn’t catch his name.”