Changes

==Lobbying for Russia==

==Lobbying for Russia==

FusionGPS was hired by the law firm of BakerHostetler to compile a dossier on [[Bill Browder]], a [[UK]] citizen. Browder lobbied strongly for passage of the [[Magnitsky Act]], or Russia sanctions bill. The bill is named for an employee of Browder who died under suspicious circumstances in a Russian while investigating the loss of $350 million. The sanctions bill must be re-authorized every several years. Glenn Simpson, a founding partner of Fusion GPS, compiled the dossier for the anti-Browder project and worked closely with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer. Denis Katsyv, the owner of Prevezon Holdings, sought to undo and limit the impact of sanctions in the 2016 re-authorization bill. BakerHostetler, the firm representing Katsyv and Prevezon Holdings made a payment to FusionGPS on March 7, 2016, court records indicate. Through October 31, 2016 BakerHostetler paid FusionGPS $523,651.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/21/unsealed-fusion-gps-bank-records-show-russia-related-payments/?utm_source=site-share</ref>

FusionGPS was hired by the law firm of BakerHostetler to compile a dossier on [[Bill Browder]], a [[UK]] citizen. Browder lobbied strongly for passage of the [[Magnitsky Act]], or Russia sanctions bill. The bill is named for an employee of Browder who died under suspicious circumstances in a Russian while investigating the loss of $350 million. The sanctions bill must be re-authorized every several years. Glenn Simpson, a founding partner of Fusion GPS, compiled the dossier for the anti-Browder project and worked closely with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer. Denis Katsyv, the owner of Prevezon Holdings, sought to undo and limit the impact of sanctions in the 2016 re-authorization bill. BakerHostetler, the firm representing Katsyv and Prevezon Holdings made a payment to FusionGPS on March 7, 2016, court records indicate. Through October 31, 2016 BakerHostetler paid FusionGPS $523,651.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2017/11/21/unsealed-fusion-gps-bank-records-show-russia-related-payments/?utm_source=site-share</ref>

Natalie Veselnitskaya was granted special immigration parole status by Obama Attn. General Loretta Lynch to represent Prevezon Holdings in an asset forfeiture agreement for $6 million with the U.S. government over a Russia money-laundering suit on May 12, 2016. Veselnitskaya overstayed her immigration parole status to work for FusionGPS in illegal lobbying scheme for repeal of Russian sanctions. Neither Veselnitskaya nor FusionGPS registered as Russian agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Natalie Veselnitskaya was granted special immigration parole status by Obama Attn. General Loretta Lynch to represent Prevezon Holdings in an asset forfeiture agreement for $6 million with the U.S. government over a Russia money-laundering suit on May 12, 2016. Veselnitskaya overstayed her immigration parole status to work for FusionGPS in illegal lobbying scheme for repeal of Russian sanctions. Neither Veselnitskaya nor FusionGPS registered as Russian agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

The Russians had stolen about $350 million from Browder, and some of the stolen assets ended with Veselnitskaya's clients at Prevezon Holdings. Browder filed a complaint with the FBI over FusionGPS's illegal, unregistered, foreign lobbying on behalf of Russia.<!--Bill Browder's Human Rights Accountability Global Initiative Foundation and others file formal complaint with the [[US Justice Department]] against FusionGPS alleging that Fusion GPS was working as a [[lobbyist]] for Russian interests and failed to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.--><ref>http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/politico-influence/2016/12/fara-complaint-alleges-pro-russian-lobbying-217776</ref><ref>http://dailycaller.com/2017/01/13/exclusive-oppo-researcher-behind-trump-dossier-is-linked-to-pro-kremlin-lobbying-effort/</ref> FusionGPS lobbied to remove the name “Magnitsky” from the Global Magnitsky Act, delay the bills passage, and cast doubt on the Obama Justice Department's version of events prior to the passage of the Magnitsky Act. Browder referred to Simpson as {{Quotebox|"a professional smear campaigner....Glenn Simpson knowingly spread false information on behalf of people connected to the Russian government to try to protect Russian torturers and murderers from consequences....Glenn Simpson’s job was to knowingly and dishonestly change the narrative of how Sergei Magnitsky came to die from murder to natural causes, and to change the narrative that Sergei Magnitsky was a criminal and not a whistleblower."<ref>... Magnitsky, who helped Browder investigate many of the corrupt Russian firms, was arrested in Nov. 2008 and accused of engaging in fraud and tax evasion.

The Russians had stolen about $350 million from Browder, and some of the stolen assets ended with Veselnitskaya's clients at Prevezon Holdings. Browder filed a complaint with the FBI over FusionGPS's illegal, unregistered, foreign lobbying on behalf of Russia.<!--Bill Browder's Human Rights Accountability Global Initiative Foundation and others file formal complaint with the [[US Justice Department]] against FusionGPS alleging that Fusion GPS was working as a [[lobbyist]] for Russian interests and failed to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.--><ref>https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/politico-influence/2016/12/fara-complaint-alleges-pro-russian-lobbying-217776</ref><ref>https://dailycaller.com/2017/01/13/exclusive-oppo-researcher-behind-trump-dossier-is-linked-to-pro-kremlin-lobbying-effort/</ref> FusionGPS lobbied to remove the name “Magnitsky” from the Global Magnitsky Act, delay the bills passage, and cast doubt on the Obama Justice Department's version of events prior to the passage of the Magnitsky Act. Browder referred to Simpson as {{Quotebox|"a professional smear campaigner....Glenn Simpson knowingly spread false information on behalf of people connected to the Russian government to try to protect Russian torturers and murderers from consequences....Glenn Simpson’s job was to knowingly and dishonestly change the narrative of how Sergei Magnitsky came to die from murder to natural causes, and to change the narrative that Sergei Magnitsky was a criminal and not a whistleblower."<ref>... Magnitsky, who helped Browder investigate many of the corrupt Russian firms, was arrested in Nov. 2008 and accused of engaging in fraud and tax evasion.

Magnitsky was tortured for months in a Russian prison and deprived of medical treatment, all in order to elicit a false confession that he and Browder were engaged in fraud and tax evasion, Browder has alleged. After Magnitsky’s health deteriorated, he was transferred to another jail. There, the lawyer was allegedly beaten with blunt objects by prison guards. He died on Nov. 16, 2009 at the age of 37.

Magnitsky was tortured for months in a Russian prison and deprived of medical treatment, all in order to elicit a false confession that he and Browder were engaged in fraud and tax evasion, Browder has alleged. After Magnitsky’s health deteriorated, he was transferred to another jail. There, the lawyer was allegedly beaten with blunt objects by prison guards. He died on Nov. 16, 2009 at the age of 37.

Soon after his friend’s murder, Browder began lobbying American lawmakers — Maryland Sen. [[Ben Cardin]] and Arizona Sen. John McCain, in particular — to pass a law that would provide a mechanism to punish Kremlin-linked Russian criminals.

Soon after his friend’s murder, Browder began lobbying American lawmakers — Maryland Sen. [[Ben Cardin]] and Arizona Sen. John McCain, in particular — to pass a law that would provide a mechanism to punish Kremlin-linked Russian criminals.

http://dailycaller.com/2017/01/16/think-tank-appears-to-cut-ties-with-oppo-researcher-behind-trump-dossier/#ixzz4d5c0xHTC</ref>}}

https://dailycaller.com/2017/01/16/think-tank-appears-to-cut-ties-with-oppo-researcher-behind-trump-dossier/#ixzz4d5c0xHTC</ref>}}

==Clinton client==

==Clinton client==

On October 18, 2017 Peter Fritsch and Thomas Catan, co-founders of FusionGPS, refused to identify the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC as the sponsors of ''Steele dossier''. The FusionGPS founders plead the [[Fifth Amendment]] right against self-incrimination “to every question asked of them" in House Intelligence Committee investigation.<ref>http://www.dailywire.com/news/22445/firm-connected-russia-and-democrats-made-trump-ryan-saavedra</ref> The ''Washington Post'' finally admitted on October 24 that the "Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee  funded the research that resulted in a now-infamous dossier containing allegations about President Trump’s connections to Russia and possible coordination between his campaign and the [[Kremlin]]...The Clinton campaign paid Perkins Coie $5.6 million in legal fees from June 2015 to December 2016, according to campaign finance records, and the DNC paid the firm $3.6 million in “legal and compliance consulting’’ since November 2015.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/clinton-campaign-dnc-paid-for-research-that-led-to-russia-dossier/2017/10/24/226fabf0-b8e4-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html?utm_term=.458088f4d37c</ref><ref>https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/10/24/clinton-campaign-dnc-paid-for-research-that-led-russia-dossier/WfYqXZf9lvbL5ujqnpp2FJ/story.html</ref> ''WaPo'' published an Oped claiming the "Steele's dossier does include information it says was obtained from "a senior Russian Foreign Ministry figure and a former top level Russian intelligence officer still active inside the Kremlin." In other words, the Clinton camp and the DNC colluded with the Russian government."<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/10/25/the-clinton-camp-and-the-dnc-helped-pay-for-that-trump-russia-dossier-heres-what-it-means/?utm_term=.44ba2d3fe34b</ref>  

On October 18, 2017 Peter Fritsch and Thomas Catan, co-founders of FusionGPS, refused to identify the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC as the sponsors of ''Steele dossier''. The FusionGPS founders plead the [[Fifth Amendment]] right against self-incrimination “to every question asked of them" in House Intelligence Committee investigation.<ref>http://www.dailywire.com/news/22445/firm-connected-russia-and-democrats-made-trump-ryan-saavedra</ref> The ''Washington Post'' finally admitted on October 24 that the "Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee  funded the research that resulted in a now-infamous dossier containing allegations about President Trump’s connections to Russia and possible coordination between his campaign and the [[Kremlin]]...The Clinton campaign paid Perkins Coie $5.6 million in legal fees from June 2015 to December 2016, according to campaign finance records, and the DNC paid the firm $3.6 million in “legal and compliance consulting’’ since November 2015.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/clinton-campaign-dnc-paid-for-research-that-led-to-russia-dossier/2017/10/24/226fabf0-b8e4-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html?utm_term=.458088f4d37c</ref><ref>https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/10/24/clinton-campaign-dnc-paid-for-research-that-led-russia-dossier/WfYqXZf9lvbL5ujqnpp2FJ/story.html</ref> ''WaPo'' published an Oped claiming the "Steele's dossier does include information it says was obtained from "a senior Russian Foreign Ministry figure and a former top level Russian intelligence officer still active inside the Kremlin." In other words, the Clinton camp and the DNC colluded with the Russian government."<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/10/25/the-clinton-camp-and-the-dnc-helped-pay-for-that-trump-russia-dossier-heres-what-it-means/?utm_term=.44ba2d3fe34b</ref>  

On October 26 CNN reported that Clinton campaign chairman [[John Podesta]] was asked by Congressional nvestigators in his September "whether the Clinton campaign had a contractual agreement with Fusion GPS, and he said he was not aware of one, according to one of the sources. Sitting next to Podesta during the interview: his attorney Marc Elias, who worked for the law firm that hired Fusion GPS" to write the ''Steele dossier'' for the Clinton campaign and DNC.<ref>http://www.independentsentinel.com/john-podesta-appears-to-have-lied-to-the-senate-intel-committee-its-illegal/</ref><ref>http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/26/politics/john-podesta-debbie-wasserman-schultz-trump-dossier/index.html</ref> Former Obama CIA Dir. [[Leon Panetta]] called for the Senate Intelligence Committee to look into the Clinton campaign and DNC funding of the ''Steele dossier.''<ref>http://ntknetwork.com/panetta-intelligence-committee-needs-to-look-into-clintondnc-dossier-payment/</ref> The ''Daily Caller'' reported on ''CNN's undisclosed ties to FusionGPS''.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2017/10/28/cnns-undisclosed-ties-to-fusion-gps/</ref> The ''New York Post'' reported ''How team Hillary hoaxed the press''.<ref>http://nypost.com/2017/10/26/how-team-hillary-played-the-press-for-fools-on-russia/</ref>

On October 26 CNN reported that Clinton campaign chairman [[John Podesta]] was asked by Congressional nvestigators in his September "whether the Clinton campaign had a contractual agreement with Fusion GPS, and he said he was not aware of one, according to one of the sources. Sitting next to Podesta during the interview: his attorney Marc Elias, who worked for the law firm that hired Fusion GPS" to write the ''Steele dossier'' for the Clinton campaign and DNC.<ref>http://www.independentsentinel.com/john-podesta-appears-to-have-lied-to-the-senate-intel-committee-its-illegal/</ref><ref>https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/26/politics/john-podesta-debbie-wasserman-schultz-trump-dossier/index.html</ref> Former Obama CIA Dir. [[Leon Panetta]] called for the Senate Intelligence Committee to look into the Clinton campaign and DNC funding of the ''Steele dossier.''<ref>http://ntknetwork.com/panetta-intelligence-committee-needs-to-look-into-clintondnc-dossier-payment/</ref> The ''Daily Caller'' reported on ''CNN's undisclosed ties to FusionGPS''.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2017/10/28/cnns-undisclosed-ties-to-fusion-gps/</ref> The ''New York Post'' reported ''How team Hillary hoaxed the press''.<ref>http://nypost.com/2017/10/26/how-team-hillary-played-the-press-for-fools-on-russia/</ref>

FEC records show Hillary For America paid just under $5.1 million and the DNC paid nearly $5.4 million to the law firm of Perkins Coie in 2016. FEC records also Obama for America also paid $972,000 to Perkins Coie beginning in April 2016, the same time Hillary for America & DNC hired FusionGPS through Perkins Coie.<ref>http://thefederalist.com/2017/10/29/obamas-campaign-gave-972000-law-firm-funneled-money-fusion-gps/</ref> The Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the [[FEC]] alleging the DNC and the [[2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign]] committee violated campaign finance law. They failed to accurately disclose the purpose and recipient of payments for the ''Steele dossier'' alleging connections between then-candidate Donald Trump and Russia, effectively hiding these payments from public scrutiny, contrary to the requirements of federal law.<ref>http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/document/fec-complaint-hillary-america-dnc-failure-disclose</ref>

FEC records show Hillary For America paid just under $5.1 million and the DNC paid nearly $5.4 million to the law firm of Perkins Coie in 2016. FEC records also Obama for America also paid $972,000 to Perkins Coie beginning in April 2016, the same time Hillary for America & DNC hired FusionGPS through Perkins Coie.<ref>https://thefederalist.com/2017/10/29/obamas-campaign-gave-972000-law-firm-funneled-money-fusion-gps/</ref> The Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the [[FEC]] alleging the DNC and the [[2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign]] committee violated campaign finance law. They failed to accurately disclose the purpose and recipient of payments for the ''Steele dossier'' alleging connections between then-candidate Donald Trump and Russia, effectively hiding these payments from public scrutiny, contrary to the requirements of federal law.<ref>http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/document/fec-complaint-hillary-america-dnc-failure-disclose</ref>

In November 2017 FusionGPS payments to mainstream journalists<ref>https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/nov/5/journalist-pay-questioned-in-russian-dossier-court/</ref><ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20171117203451/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/democratic-mega-donor-mostyn-dies-amid-mental-health-51199029</ref> and Russian sources became public.<ref>http://dailycaller.com/2017/11/21/unsealed-fusion-gps-bank-records-show-russia-related-payments/?utm_source=site-share</ref>

In November 2017 FusionGPS payments to mainstream journalists<ref>https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/nov/5/journalist-pay-questioned-in-russian-dossier-court/</ref><ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20171117203451/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/democratic-mega-donor-mostyn-dies-amid-mental-health-51199029</ref> and Russian sources became public.<ref>https://dailycaller.com/2017/11/21/unsealed-fusion-gps-bank-records-show-russia-related-payments/?utm_source=site-share</ref>

The ''Washington Times'' questioned the motives of the [[Deep state coup|Obama appointees' coup attempt]]:{{Quotebox|It was a watershed moment: the CIA, [[National Security Agency]] and FBI challenging the legitimacy of a U.S. presidential victory. The conclusions in the Jan. 6 document were sharp, but the findings unraveled 10 months later, raising questions about the basis for the evidence and the motives of the Obama appointees leading the nation’s [[intelligence community|intelligence and law enforcement]] agencies.<ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/nov/8/russia-meddling-report-to-trump-raises-questions-o/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWWprM1pqbGhNamRsTkdKaSIsInQiOiJnZlJcL1poc3J4UFZqbHRSWGVDbHdNU1c3TGlqVjFYczBlV3UxSVNLYjlYYkljSmxQaFNvOXNkc2wrQ0x1M0lwXC9UWXAwT1lRXC85NzBLME9qalwvMXkyMXNybE1cL0laUE5jU3BZSExpeWxmUlViYmZKWUxEYzE2aTFvaEtsQWQxWTMwIn0%3D]</ref>}}

The ''Washington Times'' questioned the motives of the [[Deep state coup|Obama appointees' coup attempt]]:{{Quotebox|It was a watershed moment: the CIA, [[National Security Agency]] and FBI challenging the legitimacy of a U.S. presidential victory. The conclusions in the Jan. 6 document were sharp, but the findings unraveled 10 months later, raising questions about the basis for the evidence and the motives of the Obama appointees leading the nation’s [[intelligence community|intelligence and law enforcement]] agencies.<ref>[https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/nov/8/russia-meddling-report-to-trump-raises-questions-o/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWWprM1pqbGhNamRsTkdKaSIsInQiOiJnZlJcL1poc3J4UFZqbHRSWGVDbHdNU1c3TGlqVjFYczBlV3UxSVNLYjlYYkljSmxQaFNvOXNkc2wrQ0x1M0lwXC9UWXAwT1lRXC85NzBLME9qalwvMXkyMXNybE1cL0laUE5jU3BZSExpeWxmUlViYmZKWUxEYzE2aTFvaEtsQWQxWTMwIn0%3D]</ref>}}

The ''Atlantic'' reported during the Obama administration Russian oligarchs owned 5% of [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter]].<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/11/yuri-milner-paradise-papers/545483/</ref> Prof. [[Mifsud]] disappeared.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/08/politics/joseph-mifsud-trump-russia-investigation/index.html</ref> Steve Mostyn,<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20121021154712/https://www.tlrpac.com/files/DemSteveMostynBig.pdf</ref> Democrat mega donor to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Mostyn was a co-founder of the Ready for Hillary PAC and the 10th largest donor in the United States.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20171117203451/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/democratic-mega-donor-mostyn-dies-amid-mental-health-51199029</ref><ref>http://rebrn.com/re/long-time-clinton-donor-multimillionaire-dead-by-suicide-3718228/</ref> Calls for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor mounted.<ref>http://nypost.com/2017/11/05/graham-calls-for-special-counsel-to-prove-clinton-on-russia-ties/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow&sr_share=twitter</ref><ref>http://nypost.com/2017/11/05/graham-calls-for-special-counsel-to-prove-clinton-on-russia-ties/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow&sr_share=twitter</ref><ref>https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/13/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-considers-appointment-of-new-special-counsel.html</ref><ref>https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/nov/14/jim-jordan-special-counsel-needs-to-investigate-do/</ref><ref>http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/11/15/rep-mark-meadows-special-counsel-must-investigate-russia-dossier-explain-why-obamas-fbi-was-involved.html</ref><ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/yes-the-clintons-should-be-investigated/2017/11/19/d88bb652-cb15-11e7-b0cf-7689a9f2d84e_story.html?utm_term=.f31ee84c1d43</ref><ref>http://www.nationalreview.com/article/454133/russia-investigation-robert-mueller-special-counsel-needs-oversight-prevent-abuse</ref>

The ''Atlantic'' reported during the Obama administration Russian oligarchs owned 5% of [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter]].<ref>https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/11/yuri-milner-paradise-papers/545483/</ref> Prof. [[Mifsud]] disappeared.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/08/politics/joseph-mifsud-trump-russia-investigation/index.html</ref> Steve Mostyn,<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20121021154712/https://www.tlrpac.com/files/DemSteveMostynBig.pdf</ref> Democrat mega donor to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Mostyn was a co-founder of the Ready for Hillary PAC and the 10th largest donor in the United States.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20171117203451/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/democratic-mega-donor-mostyn-dies-amid-mental-health-51199029</ref><ref>http://rebrn.com/re/long-time-clinton-donor-multimillionaire-dead-by-suicide-3718228/</ref> Calls for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor mounted.<ref>http://nypost.com/2017/11/05/graham-calls-for-special-counsel-to-prove-clinton-on-russia-ties/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow&sr_share=twitter</ref><ref>http://nypost.com/2017/11/05/graham-calls-for-special-counsel-to-prove-clinton-on-russia-ties/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_medium=SocialFlow&sr_share=twitter</ref><ref>https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/13/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-considers-appointment-of-new-special-counsel.html</ref><ref>https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/nov/14/jim-jordan-special-counsel-needs-to-investigate-do/</ref><ref>http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/11/15/rep-mark-meadows-special-counsel-must-investigate-russia-dossier-explain-why-obamas-fbi-was-involved.html</ref><ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/yes-the-clintons-should-be-investigated/2017/11/19/d88bb652-cb15-11e7-b0cf-7689a9f2d84e_story.html?utm_term=.f31ee84c1d43</ref><ref>http://www.nationalreview.com/article/454133/russia-investigation-robert-mueller-special-counsel-needs-oversight-prevent-abuse</ref>

In January 2017 Sen. [[Diane Feinstein]] posted the transcript of Glenn Simpson's Senate Intelligence Committee testimony.<ref>https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jan/11/dianne-feinstein-partially-blames-bad-cold-for-rel/</ref> Simpson said that the FBI paid for Steele's travels to Rome. Simpson said the FBI had a spy inside the Trump campaign, and the FBI was sharing information with Steele. Strzok was sharing FBI intelligence with someone paid by Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. Steele said of the FBI, “they want everything I have.” Simpson admitted the Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was hired by Simpson to lobby on behalf of Russian interests for the removal of sanctions. Simpson acknowledged that he either worked with or knows of four attendees at the Trump Tower meeting: Irakle Kaveladze, Veselnitskaya, Rinat Akhmetshin, and Anatoli Samochornov. Samochornov also worked on the Prevezon case. Simpson perjured himself in denying that the Democratic party and their nominee Hillary Clinton were his clients.<ref>https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/3/9/3974a291-ddbe-4525-9ed1-22bab43c05ae/934A3562824CACA7BB4D915E97709D2F.simpson-transcript-redacted.pdf</ref>

In January 2017 Sen. [[Diane Feinstein]] posted the transcript of Glenn Simpson's Senate Intelligence Committee testimony.<ref>https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jan/11/dianne-feinstein-partially-blames-bad-cold-for-rel/</ref> Simpson said that the FBI paid for Steele's travels to Rome. Simpson said the FBI had a spy inside the Trump campaign, and the FBI was sharing information with Steele. Strzok was sharing FBI intelligence with someone paid by Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. Steele said of the FBI, “they want everything I have.” Simpson admitted the Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was hired by Simpson to lobby on behalf of Russian interests for the removal of sanctions. Simpson acknowledged that he either worked with or knows of four attendees at the Trump Tower meeting: Irakle Kaveladze, Veselnitskaya, Rinat Akhmetshin, and Anatoli Samochornov. Samochornov also worked on the Prevezon case. Simpson perjured himself in denying that the Democratic party and their nominee Hillary Clinton were his clients.<ref>https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/3/9/3974a291-ddbe-4525-9ed1-22bab43c05ae/934A3562824CACA7BB4D915E97709D2F.simpson-transcript-redacted.pdf</ref>

On October 15, 2016 Strzok and DOJ Deputy Bruce Ohr rewrote a narrower request to the FISA court dropping Trump's name and citing only Russian banks as direct targets.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/03/04/summary-of-media-articles-discussing-obamas-fisa-warrants-to-monitor-candidatepresident-trump/</ref> The Louise Mensch article asserts that a “warrant was granted to look at the full content of [[email]]s and other related documents that may concern US persons.” FISA court approved the request.<ref>https://heatst.com/world/exclusive-fbi-granted-fisa-warrant-covering-trump-camps-ties-to-russia/</ref>

On October 15, 2016 Strzok and DOJ Deputy Bruce Ohr rewrote a narrower request to the FISA court dropping Trump's name and citing only Russian banks as direct targets.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/03/04/summary-of-media-articles-discussing-obamas-fisa-warrants-to-monitor-candidatepresident-trump/</ref> The Louise Mensch article asserts that a “warrant was granted to look at the full content of [[email]]s and other related documents that may concern US persons.” FISA court approved the request.<ref>https://heatst.com/world/exclusive-fbi-granted-fisa-warrant-covering-trump-camps-ties-to-russia/</ref>

CNN finally reported on April 18, 2017 that the FBI used the ''Steele dossier'' to obtain FISA warrants. And that the FBI & the Clinton campaign paid Steele to write the opposition research attacks.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/politics/fbi-dossier-carter-page-donald-trump-russia-investigation/index.html</ref> The bogus document had been cited by FBI Dir. Comey in some of his briefings to members of Congress as one of the sources of information the bureau was relying on. The fake evidence was presented to the FISA court to win approval  to surveillance on Carter Page. Page commented, {{Quotebox|"I look forward to the Privacy Act of 1974 [[lawsuit]] that I plan to file in response to the civil rights violations by Obama administration appointees. last year. The discovery process will be of great value to the United States, as our nation hears testimony from them under oath, and we receive disclosure of the documents which show what exactly was done in 2016."}}

CNN finally reported on April 18, 2017 that the FBI used the ''Steele dossier'' to obtain FISA warrants. And that the FBI & the Clinton campaign paid Steele to write the opposition research attacks.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/18/politics/fbi-dossier-carter-page-donald-trump-russia-investigation/index.html</ref> The bogus document had been cited by FBI Dir. Comey in some of his briefings to members of Congress as one of the sources of information the bureau was relying on. The fake evidence was presented to the FISA court to win approval  to surveillance on Carter Page. Page commented, {{Quotebox|"I look forward to the Privacy Act of 1974 [[lawsuit]] that I plan to file in response to the civil rights violations by Obama administration appointees. last year. The discovery process will be of great value to the United States, as our nation hears testimony from them under oath, and we receive disclosure of the documents which show what exactly was done in 2016."}}

Cause of Action (CoA), a watchdog group, filed suit seeking records on the relationship between the FBI and Christopher Steele. {{Quotebox|"According to a news report, Mr. Steele entered an agreement with the FBI a few weeks before the November 2016 election to investigate then-candidate Donald Trump while, at the same time, he was employed by an opposition research firm to collect information for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton."<ref>https://causeofaction.org/coa-institute-sues-records-potential-fbi-payment-democratic-opposition-researcher-compiled-infamous-trump-dossier/</ref>}}

Cause of Action (CoA), a watchdog group, filed suit seeking records on the relationship between the FBI and Christopher Steele. {{Quotebox|"According to a news report, Mr. Steele entered an agreement with the FBI a few weeks before the November 2016 election to investigate then-candidate Donald Trump while, at the same time, he was employed by an opposition research firm to collect information for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton."<ref>https://causeofaction.org/coa-institute-sues-records-potential-fbi-payment-democratic-opposition-researcher-compiled-infamous-trump-dossier/</ref>}}

Americans for Limited Government president Rick Manning called for Comey's firing: {{Quotebox|“The FBI’s incredible incompetence and outright complicity with the politicization of government spying removes the last shred of credibility that Director James Comey has and he needs to either resign or be fired. The failure to even secure and independently examine the DNC server while relying on the self-serving innuendo by the DNC’s computer consultant [[CrowdStrike]] for verification is unbelievable. But their reliance on an easily disprovable political hit piece dossier to get a FISA warrant against Carter Page, paid for by Democrat supporters of Hillary Clinton and produced by the private firm Fusion GPS, to attempt to undermine the Trump campaign in 2016 effort is inexcusable."<ref>http://getliberty.org/2017/04/alg-calls-on-fbi-director-james-comey-to-step-down-or-be-fired/#sthash.GlAIxCBf.dpuf</ref>}}

Americans for Limited Government president Rick Manning called for Comey's firing: {{Quotebox|“The FBI’s incredible incompetence and outright complicity with the politicization of government spying removes the last shred of credibility that Director James Comey has and he needs to either resign or be fired. The failure to even secure and independently examine the DNC server while relying on the self-serving innuendo by the DNC’s computer consultant [[CrowdStrike]] for verification is unbelievable. But their reliance on an easily disprovable political hit piece dossier to get a FISA warrant against Carter Page, paid for by Democrat supporters of Hillary Clinton and produced by the private firm Fusion GPS, to attempt to undermine the Trump campaign in 2016 effort is inexcusable."<ref>http://getliberty.org/2017/04/alg-calls-on-fbi-director-james-comey-to-step-down-or-be-fired/#sthash.GlAIxCBf.dpuf</ref>}}

[[Landmark Legal Foundation]] filed an [[Amicus brief]] with the FISA court.<ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-morris/levin-landmark-legal-foundation-filed-memo-asking-secret-court-investigate</ref> Landmark submits that the Obama administration "abused the judicial process, placing the integrity of this Court and the constitutional rights of individuals at risk." Landmark asks the Court to examine:

[[Landmark Legal Foundation]] filed an [[Amicus brief]] with the FISA court.<ref>https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-morris/levin-landmark-legal-foundation-filed-memo-asking-secret-court-investigate</ref> Landmark submits that the Obama administration "abused the judicial process, placing the integrity of this Court and the constitutional rights of individuals at risk." Landmark asks the Court to examine:

{{Quotebox|1. Have this Court’s order or orders been used by intelligence and law enforcement entities of the federal government as a subterfuge to surveil private citizens and at least one United States Senator for political purposes?

{{Quotebox|1. Have this Court’s order or orders been used by intelligence and law enforcement entities of the federal government as a subterfuge to surveil private citizens and at least one United States Senator for political purposes?

4. When applying to this Court for one or more warrants in this matter, did the FBI inform this Court that the dossier it reportedly presented in pursuit of one or more warrants had originally been prepared by the former British spy for a Washington research firm conducting opposition research against the Republican nominee for president, candidate Donald Trump?}}

4. When applying to this Court for one or more warrants in this matter, did the FBI inform this Court that the dossier it reportedly presented in pursuit of one or more warrants had originally been prepared by the former British spy for a Washington research firm conducting opposition research against the Republican nominee for president, candidate Donald Trump?}}

On May 7, 2017 Eric and Donald Trump Jr. were summoned to FBI headquarters for an emergency meeting with bureau cybersecurity agents, CIA representatives, and Dir. [[James Comey]].<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fbi-probing-attempted-hack-trump-organization-officials/story?id=47652150</ref> Comey was fired the next day and [[Andrew McCabe]] became Acting Director.<ref>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/alan-dershowitz-history-precedent-and-james-comeys-opening-statement-show-that-trump-did-not-obstruct-justice/article/2625318</ref> Despite being under no less than three Inspector General investigations into the Clinton, Russia, and FusionGPS matters, McCabe still failed to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.<ref>https://www.circa.com/story/2017/06/28/fbi-chief-mccabe-faces-three-separate-federal-inquiries-into-his-behavior</ref><ref>http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/new-fbi-director-mccabe-compromised-by-serious-conflict-941110851569</ref> A week before being ousted as Director by Christopher Wray, McCabe staged a highly publicized raid on Paul Manafort's home to seize Manafort's Senate Intelligence Committee transcript containing privileged information under attorney-client and immunity deals with Congress.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/05/politics/russia-mueller-hill/index.html</ref><ref>http://heavy.com/news/2017/08/trump-manafort-raid-fbi-director-mccabe-tweets-fired-removed/</ref>  Mark Corallo, attorney for Donald Trump, Jr. revealed that FusionGPS misrepresented themselves to arrange a meeting between Donald Trump Jr, and the Russian lawyer Natalie Veselnitskaya in the Summer of 2016 in an effort to compromise the Trump organization.<ref>https://www.circa.com/story/2017/07/08/donald-trump-jr-met-with-russian-lawyer-during-election-but-didnt-follow-up</ref> When Comey was summoned before Congress to explain his illegal leaking after his firing,<ref>https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3860979-Untitleddocument.html</ref> it was not the President, but rather Donald Trump Jr. who sent out a tweetstorm of some 80 tweets in response to Comey's lying and contradictions.<ref>http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-80-tweets-comey-2017-6</ref>

On May 7, 2017 Eric and Donald Trump Jr. were summoned to FBI headquarters for an emergency meeting with bureau cybersecurity agents, CIA representatives, and Dir. [[James Comey]].<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/fbi-probing-attempted-hack-trump-organization-officials/story?id=47652150</ref> Comey was fired the next day and [[Andrew McCabe]] became Acting Director.<ref>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/alan-dershowitz-history-precedent-and-james-comeys-opening-statement-show-that-trump-did-not-obstruct-justice/article/2625318</ref> Despite being under no less than three Inspector General investigations into the Clinton, Russia, and FusionGPS matters, McCabe still failed to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.<ref>https://www.circa.com/story/2017/06/28/fbi-chief-mccabe-faces-three-separate-federal-inquiries-into-his-behavior</ref><ref>http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/new-fbi-director-mccabe-compromised-by-serious-conflict-941110851569</ref> A week before being ousted as Director by Christopher Wray, McCabe staged a highly publicized raid on Paul Manafort's home to seize Manafort's Senate Intelligence Committee transcript containing privileged information under attorney-client and immunity deals with Congress.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2017/09/05/politics/russia-mueller-hill/index.html</ref><ref>http://heavy.com/news/2017/08/trump-manafort-raid-fbi-director-mccabe-tweets-fired-removed/</ref>  Mark Corallo, attorney for Donald Trump, Jr. revealed that FusionGPS misrepresented themselves to arrange a meeting between Donald Trump Jr, and the Russian lawyer Natalie Veselnitskaya in the Summer of 2016 in an effort to compromise the Trump organization.<ref>https://www.circa.com/story/2017/07/08/donald-trump-jr-met-with-russian-lawyer-during-election-but-didnt-follow-up</ref> When Comey was summoned before Congress to explain his illegal leaking after his firing,<ref>https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3860979-Untitleddocument.html</ref> it was not the President, but rather Donald Trump Jr. who sent out a tweetstorm of some 80 tweets in response to Comey's lying and contradictions.<ref>http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-80-tweets-comey-2017-6</ref>

Strzok had given false and misleading information to the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Hillary Clinton's ''Steele dossier'' shortly after the election. House Intelligence Committee investigators were contacted by a [[Whistleblower Statutes|whistleblower]] suggesting that there was “documentary evidence” that Strzok was obstructing the House probe into the dossier.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/12/texts-between-ex-mueller-team-members-emerge-calling-trump-loathsome-human-idiot.html</ref> The ''Steele dossier'' had been used to obtain [[fruit of the poisonous tree]] evidence against [[National Security Advisor]] Mike Flynn. In January 2017 Strzok interviewed Flynn at the White House in what appears to be an [[entrapment]] sting using the falsified FISA evidence.<ref>https://www.hannity.com/content/2017-12-04-exclusive-fbi-supervisor-booted-from-mueller-probe-interviewed-mike-flynn/</ref> Flynn was later convicted of misleading Strzok, although Flynn later said he merely didn't recall minor details during the questioning. By midsummer the Inspector General (IG) reported on the existence of the Strzok-Page texts deemed prejudicial to the investigation. Special Counsel Robert Mueller finally fired Strzok from the [[Trump-Russia investigation]] for his blatantly anti-Trump texts. Strzok's cohort [[Lisa Page]] was fired a month later. After Flynn's conviction on a process charge the Judge who presided over former National Security Advisor [[Mike Flynn]]'s plea agreement abruptly recused himself from the sentencing phase when the FISA warrant abuses became more widely known. It was the same judge who heard the bogus FISA warrant requests based on Hillary Clinton's ''Steele dossier''.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-flynn/judge-presiding-over-michael-flynn-criminal-case-is-recused-court-idUSKBN1E202V</ref>

Strzok had given false and misleading information to the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Hillary Clinton's ''Steele dossier'' shortly after the election. House Intelligence Committee investigators were contacted by a [[Whistleblower Statutes|whistleblower]] suggesting that there was “documentary evidence” that Strzok was obstructing the House probe into the dossier.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/12/texts-between-ex-mueller-team-members-emerge-calling-trump-loathsome-human-idiot.html</ref> The ''Steele dossier'' had been used to obtain [[fruit of the poisonous tree]] evidence against [[National Security Advisor]] Mike Flynn. In January 2017 Strzok interviewed Flynn at the White House in what appears to be an [[entrapment]] sting using the falsified FISA evidence.<ref>https://www.hannity.com/content/2017-12-04-exclusive-fbi-supervisor-booted-from-mueller-probe-interviewed-mike-flynn/</ref> Flynn was later convicted of misleading Strzok, although Flynn later said he merely didn't recall minor details during the questioning. By midsummer the Inspector General (IG) reported on the existence of the Strzok-Page texts deemed prejudicial to the investigation. Special Counsel Robert Mueller finally fired Strzok from the [[Trump-Russia investigation]] for his blatantly anti-Trump texts. Strzok's cohort [[Lisa Page]] was fired a month later. After Flynn's conviction on a process charge the Judge who presided over former National Security Advisor [[Mike Flynn]]'s plea agreement abruptly recused himself from the sentencing phase when the FISA warrant abuses became more widely known. It was the same judge who heard the bogus FISA warrant requests based on Hillary Clinton's ''Steele dossier''.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-flynn/judge-presiding-over-michael-flynn-criminal-case-is-recused-court-idUSKBN1E202V</ref>

In early June 2016 FusionGPS hired Christopher Steele to begin working on the ''Steele dossier''.<ref>http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/03/how-the-explosive-russian-dossier-was-compiled-christopher-steele</ref><!--???*'''June.''' Civilian(?) From the industry probe(?) into the (2015?) hack finds servers in two Moscow banks (what does this have to do with probe of DNC servers?) (Alfa and Sperbank) directly pinging one server in Trump Tower.--> On June 9, 2016 Rinat Akhmetshin<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rinat-akhmetshin-who-russian-lobbyist-who-met-trump-team-n783161</ref> and Natalia Veselnitskaya,<ref>https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-seeks-more-information-pro-russia-lobbyist-present-trump-jr-meeting</ref> in the employ of FusionGPS, and Ike Kaveladze,<ref>https://ru.linkedin.com/in/ikekaveladze</ref> met with Donald Trump Jr. and [[Jared Kushner]]

In early June 2016 FusionGPS hired Christopher Steele to begin working on the ''Steele dossier''.<ref>http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/03/how-the-explosive-russian-dossier-was-compiled-christopher-steele</ref><!--???*'''June.''' Civilian(?) From the industry probe(?) into the (2015?) hack finds servers in two Moscow banks (what does this have to do with probe of DNC servers?) (Alfa and Sperbank) directly pinging one server in Trump Tower.--> On June 9, 2016 Rinat Akhmetshin<ref>http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rinat-akhmetshin-who-russian-lobbyist-who-met-trump-team-n783161</ref> and Natalia Veselnitskaya,<ref>https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-seeks-more-information-pro-russia-lobbyist-present-trump-jr-meeting</ref> in the employ of FusionGPS, and Ike Kaveladze,<ref>https://ru.linkedin.com/in/ikekaveladze</ref> met with Donald Trump Jr. and [[Jared Kushner]]

at Trump Tower.<ref>https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/complaint-firm-behind-dossier-former-russian-intel-officer-joined-lobbying-effort</ref> On June 20, 2016 Christopher Steele filed his first report entitled ''Company Intelligence Report''.<ref>The report consisted solely if the infamous 'pep-pee' memo. http://thefederalist.com/2018/01/10/10-takeaways-from-glenn-simpsons-fusion-gps-senate-testimony/</ref> Peter Strzok of the FBI Counterintelligence Division exchanged information with Steele days later.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/lifting-the-steele-curtain-1510274070</ref>

at Trump Tower.<ref>https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/complaint-firm-behind-dossier-former-russian-intel-officer-joined-lobbying-effort</ref> On June 20, 2016 Christopher Steele filed his first report entitled ''Company Intelligence Report''.<ref>The report consisted solely if the infamous 'pep-pee' memo. https://thefederalist.com/2018/01/10/10-takeaways-from-glenn-simpsons-fusion-gps-senate-testimony/</ref> Peter Strzok of the FBI Counterintelligence Division exchanged information with Steele days later.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/lifting-the-steele-curtain-1510274070</ref>

Throughout July, August and September 2016, FusionGPS paid [[journalist]]s from the ''[[New York Times]]'', Devlin Barrett of the ''[[Washington Post]]'', [[ABC News]], Ken Dilanian of [[NBC News]], David Corn of ''Mother Jones'', Michael Isikoff of Yahoo! News and others to listen to Christopher Steele and shop the ''Steele dossier'' narrative for mainstream publication. Court papers confirm payments.<ref>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/fusion-gps-paid-journalists-court-papers-confirm/article/2641454</ref> In August Christopher Steele went to Sir Andrew Wood to ask him to act as a go-between to reach Sen. [[John McCain]], to try to give his fake dossier credibility.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/11/inside-trump-dossier-handoff-mccains-go-between-speaks-out.html</ref>

Throughout July, August and September 2016, FusionGPS paid [[journalist]]s from the ''[[New York Times]]'', Devlin Barrett of the ''[[Washington Post]]'', [[ABC News]], Ken Dilanian of [[NBC News]], David Corn of ''Mother Jones'', Michael Isikoff of Yahoo! News and others to listen to Christopher Steele and shop the ''Steele dossier'' narrative for mainstream publication. Court papers confirm payments.<ref>http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/fusion-gps-paid-journalists-court-papers-confirm/article/2641454</ref> In August Christopher Steele went to Sir Andrew Wood to ask him to act as a go-between to reach Sen. [[John McCain]], to try to give his fake dossier credibility.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/11/inside-trump-dossier-handoff-mccains-go-between-speaks-out.html</ref>