Changes

https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Dossier.pdf</smsll></ref> The Clinton opposition research was presented to the public as a supposed U.S. "intelligence report" that the [[Obama administration]] was acting on. In fact, it was fabricated by a retired foreign intelligence operative who hated Trump and paid [[Russia]]ns with money from Clinton and Obama's FBI for manufactured dirt on Trump.  

https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Dossier.pdf</smsll></ref> The Clinton opposition research was presented to the public as a supposed U.S. "intelligence report" that the [[Obama administration]] was acting on. In fact, it was fabricated by a retired foreign intelligence operative who hated Trump and paid [[Russia]]ns with money from Clinton and Obama's FBI for manufactured dirt on Trump.  

[[James Clapper]] leaked to [[Jake Tapper]] of CNN the substance of the dossier and the private briefing of the [[President-elect]], and CNN directed traffic to BuzzFeed's site, who posted the unsubstantiated smears. The FBI later admitted that the smears and innuendo were unsubstantiated,<ref>https://hotair.com/archives/2018/02/02/salacious-unverified-memo-misquote-comey-dossier/</ref> but the purpose of the [[collusion]] between the FBI, CNN, and BuzzFeed was to destroy the confidence of the American people in the new administration.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/04/20/anatomy-of-a-political-smear-confirmed-james-comey-january-briefing-was-scripted-by-clapper-and-brennan-to-create-media-narrative/</ref>

[[James Clapper]] leaked to [[Jake Tapper]] of CNN the substance of the dossier and the private briefing of the [[President-elect]], and CNN directed traffic to BuzzFeed's site, who posted the unsubstantiated smears.<ref>https://www.weeklystandard.com/eric-felten/house-report-claims-dni-clapper-engineered-dossier-release?_amp=true</ref> The FBI later admitted that the smears and innuendo were unsubstantiated,<ref>https://hotair.com/archives/2018/02/02/salacious-unverified-memo-misquote-comey-dossier/</ref> but the purpose of the [[collusion]] between the FBI, CNN, and BuzzFeed was to destroy the confidence of the American people in the new administration.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/04/20/anatomy-of-a-political-smear-confirmed-james-comey-january-briefing-was-scripted-by-clapper-and-brennan-to-create-media-narrative/</ref>

Five weeks after BuzzFeed published the false allegations, Aleksej Gubarev sued denying that his web-hosting companies had used “botnets and porn traffic to transmit viruses, plant bugs, steal data and ‘conduct altering operations’ against the [[Democratic party]] leadership.” BuzzFeed argued that under [[New York]] state's fair-report privilege, the fact [[President Obama]] had been briefed on the phony dossier, and approved briefing the President-elect with "salacious and unverified" information, the intelligence agencies must answer questions about Obama's approval.<ref>https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-graham-uncover-unusual-email-sent-susan-rice-herself-president-trump-s</ref> The court has agreed.<ref>https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/buzzfeed-trump-dossier-lawsuit.php</ref> [[James Comey]] will be [[subpoena]]ed to testify about the January 5, 2017 [[Oval Office]] meeting.<ref>https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180805/07231540373/court-says-comey-other-doj-officials-must-answer-buzzfeeds-questions-about-steele-dossier.shtml</ref>

Five weeks after BuzzFeed published the false allegations, Aleksej Gubarev sued denying that his web-hosting companies had used “botnets and porn traffic to transmit viruses, plant bugs, steal data and ‘conduct altering operations’ against the [[Democratic party]] leadership.” BuzzFeed argued that under [[New York]] state's fair-report privilege, the fact [[President Obama]] had been briefed on the phony dossier, and approved briefing the President-elect with "salacious and unverified" information, the intelligence agencies must answer questions about Obama's approval.<ref>https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-graham-uncover-unusual-email-sent-susan-rice-herself-president-trump-s</ref> The court has agreed.<ref>https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/buzzfeed-trump-dossier-lawsuit.php</ref> [[James Comey]] will be [[subpoena]]ed to testify about the January 5, 2017 [[Oval Office]] meeting.<ref>https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180805/07231540373/court-says-comey-other-doj-officials-must-answer-buzzfeeds-questions-about-steele-dossier.shtml</ref>