Trump dossier and Christopher Steele Fusion GPS

in september 2015, fusion gps hired washington free beacon, conservative political website, opposition research on trump , other republican presidential candidates. in spring 2016 when trump had emerged probable republican candidate, free beacon stopped funding investigation trump. april 2016 through october 2016, law firm perkins coie, on behalf of clinton campaign , democratic national committee retained fusion gps continue opposition research on trump. in june 2016, fusion gps retained christopher steele, private british corporate intelligence investigator , former mi-6 agent, research russian connections trump. steele produced 35-page series of memos june december 2016, became document known donald trump–russia dossier. fusion gps provided marc elias, lead election lawyer perkins coie, resulting dossier , other research documents.

house intelligence committee investigation

on october 4, 2017, chairman nunes of house intelligence committee issued subpoenas management of company, demanding documents , testimony in late october , november 2017. according democratic committee source, subpoenas issued unilaterally republican majority of committee.

on october 18, 2017, house intelligence committee held private meeting 2 executives of fusion gps, peter fritsch , thomas catan. purpose seek information creation of opposition-research dossier makes salacious claims president donald trump’s ties russia. meeting attended committee staff , single committee member, representative tom rooney (r-fl). in response questions asked @ meeting, fritsch , catan invoked fifth amendment rights against self-incrimination. attorney, joshua levy, said prior meeting had informed committee in writing clients invoke rights, compelled appear nevertheless. added cooperate serious investigations trump cabal has carried out campaign demonize our client having been tied trump dossier.

on october 23, 2017, fusion gps filed court injunction against nunes subpoena seeking firm s bank records period of more 2 years, arguing damage , possibly destroy business violate first amendment rights.

on october 28, 2017, washington free beacon, conservative political website, told house intelligence committee had retained fusion gps s services 2015 may 2016, research donald trump , other republican presidential candidates. objective discovery of damaging information. free beacon , primary source of funding, hedge fund manager paul singer, denied involvement in creation of steele dossier, pointing out had stopped funding research on trump before steele engaged.