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| Democratic Senator Releases Transcript of Interview with Dossier Firm | Democratic Senator Releases Transcript of Interview with Dossier Firm |
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| WASHINGTON — Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, on Tuesday unilaterally released a highly anticipated transcript of the committee’s interview with one of the founders of the firm that produced a salacious and unsubstantiated dossier outlining a Russian effort to aid the Trump campaign. | |
| The interview, with Glenn R. Simpson of Fusion GPS, took place last summer and was expected to shed light on the origins of the firm’s work, its concerns about the Trump campaign’s activities, and what the F.B.I. may have done with the information. | The interview, with Glenn R. Simpson of Fusion GPS, took place last summer and was expected to shed light on the origins of the firm’s work, its concerns about the Trump campaign’s activities, and what the F.B.I. may have done with the information. |
| “The American people deserve the opportunity to see what he said and judge for themselves,” Ms. Feinstein said. “The innuendo and misinformation circulating about the transcript are part of a deeply troubling effort to undermine the investigation into potential collusion and obstruction of justice. The only way to set the record straight is to make the transcript public.” | “The American people deserve the opportunity to see what he said and judge for themselves,” Ms. Feinstein said. “The innuendo and misinformation circulating about the transcript are part of a deeply troubling effort to undermine the investigation into potential collusion and obstruction of justice. The only way to set the record straight is to make the transcript public.” |
| Mr. Simpson and Peter Fritsch, the firm’s co-founders, had called for the transcript’s release last week in an op-ed in The New York Times in which they accused Republicans of concealing their testimony in an effort to smear the dossier and distract from questions about the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. | Mr. Simpson and Peter Fritsch, the firm’s co-founders, had called for the transcript’s release last week in an op-ed in The New York Times in which they accused Republicans of concealing their testimony in an effort to smear the dossier and distract from questions about the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. |
| In the op-ed, Mr. Simpson and Mr. Fritsch said the transcripts would show that they told lawmakers that they believed the dossier had been taken seriously by the F.B.I. because it matched reports that the bureau was receiving from other sources. | In the op-ed, Mr. Simpson and Mr. Fritsch said the transcripts would show that they told lawmakers that they believed the dossier had been taken seriously by the F.B.I. because it matched reports that the bureau was receiving from other sources. |
| Mr. Simpson has also spoken with investigators from the House and Senate intelligence committees, which have their own investigations into Russia’s election interference. Neither committee had intentions of releasing the transcripts from its interview with Mr. Simpson. | Mr. Simpson has also spoken with investigators from the House and Senate intelligence committees, which have their own investigations into Russia’s election interference. Neither committee had intentions of releasing the transcripts from its interview with Mr. Simpson. |
| Ms. Feinstein moved to do so without the committee’s Republican chairman, Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, almost certainly escalating partisan tensions on the committee. Mr. Grassley last week rejected the firm’s request to release the transcript, citing concerns that its release could taint the committee’s ongoing investigations related to Russia’s election meddling and the F.B.I.’s response. He invited Mr. Simpson to instead testify publicly. | Ms. Feinstein moved to do so without the committee’s Republican chairman, Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, almost certainly escalating partisan tensions on the committee. Mr. Grassley last week rejected the firm’s request to release the transcript, citing concerns that its release could taint the committee’s ongoing investigations related to Russia’s election meddling and the F.B.I.’s response. He invited Mr. Simpson to instead testify publicly. |
| Mr. Grassley, along with another Republican on the panel, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, issued a criminal referral last week for the dossier principal author a former British spy named Christopher Steele. The senators said they had reason to believe Mr. Steele had lied to federal authorities about his contacts with the media and urged the Justice Department to investigate. Democrats called the referral a partisan distraction. | Mr. Grassley, along with another Republican on the panel, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, issued a criminal referral last week for the dossier principal author a former British spy named Christopher Steele. The senators said they had reason to believe Mr. Steele had lied to federal authorities about his contacts with the media and urged the Justice Department to investigate. Democrats called the referral a partisan distraction. |
| Fusion GPS was first hired by The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative website, in September 2015. And the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign later funded its work, including that of Mr. Steele. | Fusion GPS was first hired by The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative website, in September 2015. And the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign later funded its work, including that of Mr. Steele. |
| Republicans have repeatedly and vocally raised concerns that the dossier — a set of reports paid for by Democrats — could have been mishandled by the F.B.I. as it was opening its own investigation into the Russian effort and the Trump campaign. | Republicans have repeatedly and vocally raised concerns that the dossier — a set of reports paid for by Democrats — could have been mishandled by the F.B.I. as it was opening its own investigation into the Russian effort and the Trump campaign. |