by WorldTribune Staff, September 25, 2020
The primary “sub-source” of the anti-Trump Russia dossier was himself a suspected Russian operative who had been deemed by the FBI to be a possible “threat to national security,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said.
Graham, South Carolina Republican, on Thursday released a letter from Attorney General William Barr and a declassified summary from the FBI which indicated dossier author Christopher Steele used as his top “sub-source” for the bogus dossier a likely Russian agent who had previously been the subject of an FBI counterintelligence investigation.
“To me, failure of the FBI to inform the court that the primary sub-source was suspected of being a Russian agent is a breach of every duty owed by law enforcement to the judicial system,” Graham said.
The FBI summary provided to the committee reveals that the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane team was aware of this information in December 2016, yet failed to inform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court when it sought FISA warrants to spy on Trump campaign associate Carter Page.
Key takeaways from the FBI’s declassified summary:
• The Crossfire Hurricane team knew in December 2016 that Christopher Steele’s Primary Sub-source was an individual who the FBI had indicated in 2009 “could be a threat to national security.”
• In May 2009, Steele’s source reportedly attempted to recruit two individuals connected to an influential foreign policy advisor connected to President Barack Obama, offering that if the two individuals “ ‘did get a job in the government and had access to classified information’ and wanted ‘to make a little extra money,’ [Steele’s source] knew some people to whom they could speak.”
• FBI databases revealed Steele’s source “had contact in 2006 with the Russian Embassy and known Russian intelligence officers, [including contacting a known Russian intelligence officer] ‘so the documents can be placed in tomorrow’s diplomatic pouch.’ ”
• One individual interviewed by the FBI noted that “the Primary Sub-source persistently asked about the interviewee’s knowledge of a particular military vessel.”
• Significantly, the “record documenting the closing of the investigation [of the Primary Sub-source] stated that consideration would be given to re-opening the investigation in the event that the Primary Sub-source returned to the United States.”
“This is the most stunning and damning revelation the committee has uncovered,” Graham said. “The committee will press on and get to the bottom of what happened, and we will try to work together to make sure this never happens again.”
During a Thursday appearance on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s program, Graham said FBI officials who were involved in the Russia investigation should be “very worried” following the new revelations.
Graham added that it was important to note that Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham, who is leading the investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia hoax, “has already investigated this matter. So there’s some people tonight that have to be very worried, because now we know the FBI — in December 2016 — knew that the dossier was being prepared by a Russian agent. They never told the court.”
Graham described the dossier as “a massive effort by Russia to do a disinformation campaign against the Trump campaign, and it worked. Bottom line, is the FBI used a document prepared by a Russian agent — paid for by the Democratic Party — to get a warrant against the Trump campaign, and the only place you’re going to hear about that is probably on this show.”
Graham added: “I hope this is a game-changer. I hope that the traditional media, the mainstream media will look at this abuse of power.”
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