The information the FBI collected, and the material Christopher Steele and [[FusionGPS]] manufactured, were used to create the [[fake news]] [[Trump-Russia conspiracy theory]], and to manipulate the FISA Court into granting a FISA warrant - what Peter Strzok called “the insurance policy” against Trump's election.
===Bill Priestap===
As head of FBI counterintelligence, Priestap would have to sign off on the use of FusionGPS (aka: Bean LLC, aka, Glenn Simpson), Crowdstrike, and/or any FBI contractor who was allowed access to, or received information from, the FBI database.<ref>https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2018/01/22/fbi-shadow-figure-surfaces-to-protect-president-obama-amid-released-fbi-text-messages/</ref> Priestap would have needed to authorize Strzok to engage with Christopher Steele over the ''Steele dosssier''. Priestap would have to approve the underlying documents that were used for both FISA applications (June/July and Sept/Oct). Priestap would be the person to approve of paying, or reimbursing, Christopher Steele for the ''Steele dossier'' used in the FBI counterintelligence operation and subsequent FISA application.
Priestap was agent Peter Strzok’s immediate boss; however, it is unknown how much influence Priestap held over the activity of Strzok. Released text messages indicate Strzok was reporting more to [[Andrew McCabe]] during both the Clinton email whitewash and Trump FISA abuse operations.
Priestap is the only central character within the Obama-era FBI leadership apparatus that remains entirely intact despite his central role in the counterintelligence operation against candidate Donald Trump, giving indications that Priestap is cooperating with the Inspector General and prosecutors' investigations into the Obama administration's criminal misconduct.<ref>
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-02-11/russiagate-delusion-dies-who-bill-priestap</ref>
It is highly likely Priestap has been cleared for any intentional wrongdoing and has no issues cooperating with the FBI's Inspection Division and Inspector General investigators. Because of the importance of his role, Priestap likely knows the full context of how the FISA Title-1 application against U.S. person [[Carter Page]] was assembled and used. Priestap is also mentioned in the Nunes FISA memo contradicting the claims of James Comey, Andrew McCabe, [[John Brennan]] and [[James Clapper]].
===Steele dossier===