application that is known by the government. In the case of Carter Page, the govemment had at least four independent opportunities before the FISC to accurately provide an accounting of the relevant facts. However, our findings indicate that, as described below, material and relevant information was omitted.
1) The “dossier” compiled by Christopher Steele (Steele dossier) on behalf of the
Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Hillary Clinton campaign formed an
essential part of the Carter Page FISA application. Steele was a longtime FBI source who
was paid over $160,000 by the DNC and Clinton campaign, via the law firm Perkins Coie
and research firm Fusion GPS, to obtain derogatory information on Donald Trun-1p’s ties
to Russia.
a) Neither the initial application in October 2016, nor any of the renewals, disclose or
reference the role of the DNC, Clinton campaign, or any party/campaign in funding
Steele’s efforts, even though the political origins of the Steele dossier were then
known to senior DOJ and FBI officials.
b) The initial FISA application notes Steele was Working for a named U.S. person, but
does not name Fusion GPS and principal Glenn Simpson, who was paid by a U.S. law
firm (Perkins Coie) representing the DNC (even though it was known by DOJ at the
time that political actors were involved with the Steele dossier). The application does
not mention Steele was ultimately working on behalf of and paid by the DNC and
Clinton campaign, or that the FBI had separately authorized payment to Steele for the
same information.
2) The Carter Page FISA application also cited extensively a September 23, 2016, Yahoo
News article by Michael Isikoff, which focuses on Page’s July 2016 trip to Moscow.
~ This article does not corroborate the Steele dossier because it is derived from information
leaked by Steele himself to Yahoo News. The Page FISA application incorrectly assesses
that Steele did not directly provide information to Yahoo News. Steele has admitted in
British court filings that he met with Yahoo News—and several other outlets4in
September 2016 at the direction of Fusion GPS. Perkins Coie was aware of Steele’s
initial media contacts because they hosted at least one meeting in Washington D.C. in
2016 with Steele and Fusion GPS Where this matter was discussed.
a) Steele was suspended and then terminated as an FBI source for what the FBI defines
as the most serious of violations~—an unauthorized disclosure to the media of his
relationship with the FBI in an October 30, 2016, Mother Jones article by David
Com. Steele should have been terminated for his previous undisclosed contacts with
Yahoo and other outlets in September—before the Page application was submitted to