The chairman of the Senate Intelligence committee is pleading with ex-British spy Christopher Steele to come and talk to U.S. investigators to disclose sources and funders of the infamous dirty dossier of dirt on Donald Trump.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr brought up the dossier, unprompted, during a status update on the panel’s nine-month probe into Russian interference in the presidential election.
He indicated that he had personally implored the former British Intelligence officer to come talk to him – even on a basis where Steele could speak exclusively to the two panel leaders without a compliment of prying lawmakers or aides.
‘As it relates to the Steele dossier, Burr said, ‘unfortunately, the committee has hit a wall.’
Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (L), R-N.C. and Senate Intelligence Vice Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., want to meet with ex British spy Christopher Steele, who compiled the infamous ‘dirty dossier’
‘We have on several occasions made attempts to contact Mr. Steele. To meet with Mr. Steele. To include personally the vice chairman and myself as two individuals making that connection. Those offers have gone unaccepted,’ Burr vented, with Warner at his side.
The panel continues to probe possible collusion with the Trump campaign, but has reached no conclusions.
“The committee continues to look into all evidence to see if there was any hint of collusion,” Burr said. “We have more work to do as it relates to collusion.”
Special counsel Robert Mueller is also probing the dossier, having taken over an FBI investigation into the document, Reuters reported. Of interest are its findings on Trump and his associates’ financial links to Russia. The dossier mentions Russian businessmen who U.S. intelligence concluded are Russian intelligence officers, according to the report.
Christopher Steele, the former MI6 agent who set-up Orbis Business Intelligence and compiled a dossier on Donald Trump, in London. ‘We have on several occasions made attempts to contact Mr. Steele,’ said Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.
Burr didn’t mention any of the details of the infamous dossier, which included unproven and salacious allegations about Donald Trump, as well as Russian efforts to gain compromising information about him. It also lays out allegations of financial ties to Russian oligarchs and Russian officials.
‘The committee cannot really decide the credibility of the dossier without understanding things like who paid for it? Who were your sources and sub-sources?’ Burr explained.
‘We’re investigating a very expansive Russian network of interference in U.S. elections. And though we have been incredibly enlightened at our ability to rebuild backwards the Steele dossier up to a certain date, getting past that point has been somewhat impossible.’
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R) brought up the dossier, unprompted, during a status update on the panel’s investigation
Burr’s eagerness to meet with Steele comes despite his pessimism about finding new enlightening material before the summer, when the dossier was in circulation.
‘And I say this because I don’t think we’re going to find any intelligence products that unlock that key to pre June of 16. My hope is that Mr. Steele will make a decision to meet with either Mark and I or the committee or both so that we can hear his side of it versus for us to depict in our findings what his intent or what his actions were.’
Then, directing his televised comments to the ex-spy who went into hiding after he was initially identified, Burr said: ‘And I say that to you but I also say it to Chris Steele.’
The dossier contained salacious and unproven allegations on Donald Trump’s trip to Moscow
Burr and Warner have offered to meet with Steele in a small setting to find out who paid for the dossier and who his sources were
The panel has subpoena power to force Americans to appear before it. But that power does not extend to foreign nationals.
Burr did issue a warning to potential U.S. witnesses who might try to stay away.
‘I strongly suggest that you come in and speak with us. If we believe that you have something valuable to bring to the committee, if you don’t voluntarily do it I will assure you today you will be compelled to do it,’ he said.
‘I can compel you to come, I can’t compel you to talk. But that will be done in a very public way if in fact you turn down the private offer,’ he said – brandishing the threat of a public grilling.
Trump has repeatedly denied he has anything to do with Russia, although investigators have uncovered contacts between top officials and Trump family members with senior Russian officials and oligarchs.
Burr mentioned an upcoming hearing with longtime Trump Organization attorney Michael Cohen, who has been revealed to have had correspondence about a possible Trump Tower Moscow and a residential Moscow project. Neither came to fruition.