Fusion GPS Founder: FBI May Have Paid Expenses for Anti-Trump Dossier Author

Fusion GPS Founder: FBI May Have Paid Expenses for Anti-Trump Dossier Author

TEL AVIV — Glenn R. Simpson, the co-founder of the controversial opposition research firm Fusion GPS, stated in testimony it “makes sense” to him that the FBI paid for a trip to Rome by the former British spy who was contracted by Simpson’s company to produce the largely discredited 35-page anti-Trump dossier.
Fusion GPS hired Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence agent, to do the work cited in the anti-Trump dossier. Last July, Steele reportedly traveled to Rome, where he met with an FBI contact to supply the agency with the anti-Trump dossier and other information he found during the course of his anti-Trump work.

Steele’s dossier reportedly served as some of the basis for the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and unsubstantiated claims of coordination with Russia.

In August 22 testimony released last week and reviewed in full by Breitbart News, Simpson stated that Steele’s outreach to the FBI was “something that Chris took on on his own.”

Simpson stated that as far as he knew Fusion GPS did not fund Steele’s trip to Rome to meet with the FBI. He said he believes that the trip expenses may have been reimbursed by the FBI.

“I don’t think we did,” Simpson stated, referring to whether Fusion GPS paid for Steele’s travel to Rome to meet with the FBI. “I have no information that we paid for it.”

He continued: “Again, this sort of emphasizes, you know, the point I was making earlier which was this was something that I considered to be something that Chris took on on his own based on his professional obligations and not something that was part of my project.”

“So it makes sense to me that he was reimbursed by them,” he stated, referring to the FBI.

Just before those statements, Simpson was asked: “Do you know who paid for Mr. Steele’s trip to Rome to meet with the FBI?”

Simpson replied: “I have read recently that — I think in a letter from Senator Grassley that the FBI reimbursed the expense. But to be clear, I mean, that’s it. He was, to my knowledge, not been (sic) compensated for that work or any other work during this time.”

Simpson was likely referring to a March 6 letter from Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley requesting information and documents about the FBI’s ties to Steele, including whether the agency utilized Steele for its investigation into Trump and whether the FBI paid Steele or intended to pay him.


[link to www.breitbart.com]