Jonathan Turley – In a surprising admission, the author of the controversial dossier used to secure the secret surveillance on Trump officials admitted that it was paid for by Clinton campaign as a type of insurance to challenge the election.  At the same time, the reporter who helped break the story, Michael Isikoff now says that many of the specific allegations remain unproven and are likely false.

The Washington Times reported that Steele stated in a declaration in a defamation case that the law firm Perkins Coie wanted to be able to challenge the results of the election based on the dossier.  In an answer to interrogatories, Mr. Steele wrote: “Fusion’s immediate client was law firm Perkins Coie. It engaged Fusion to obtain information necessary for Perkins Coie LLP to provide legal advice on the potential impact of Russian involvement on the legal validity of the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential election. Based on that advice, parties such as the Democratic National Committee and HFACC Inc. (also known as ‘Hillary for America’) could consider steps they would be legally entitled to take to challenge the validity of the outcome of that election.”

Ultimately, the Clinton-funded  dossier was used by the Obama Administration to secure secret surveillance targeting Trump officials. Not only was the use of such a document from an opposing candidate concerning, but many of the allegations have never been proven.

Indeed, this week the attorney for Michael Cohen repeated his prior categorical denial that a key trip to Prague never occurred in direct contradiction to Steele’s dossier: “When you actually get into the details of the Steele dossier, the specific allegations, we have not seen the evidence to support them, and, in fact, there’s good grounds to think that some of the more sensational allegations will never be proven and are likely false.”

Carter Page, a former Trump adviser, has never been charged.

The Steele admission only magnifies the concerns over the purpose and the use of this dossier, but has received little media attention.

SF Source Jonathan Turley Dec 2018