Russia

Steele Dossier Source Heads to Trial

Published OCT 10 2022

Story

Image credit: AP Photos [via AP News]

The Facts

The trial of Igor Danchenko, a US-based Russian lawyer charged with five counts of lying to the FBI during its investigation into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, is set to commence at the US District Court of Alexandria, Va. on Tuesday.
wsj
Danchenko - who provided key details for the "dossier" on former Pres. Trump to former British spy Christopher Steele - denied the charges and called for the judge to dismiss the case last week.
The Associated Press
The judge, Anthony Trenga, said government prosecutors – led by Special Counsel John Durham – met the burden of proof for the trial to proceed. However, he ruled that the Steele dossier's most incendiary allegations – that Trump hired prostitutes at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow – couldn't be included.
The Associated Press
Prosecutors allege that when questioned by the FBI about the contents of the Steele dossier, Danchenko misled them about the credibility of his sources by failing to reveal that the original source of the information was Charles Dolan, who worked for the Hillary Clinton campaign.
NBC
The prosecution is the third to be brought forward by Durham, who was appointed in 2019 to investigate possible government wrongdoing during "Crossfire Hurricane" - the FBI's investigation into Trump's alleged Russian collusion accusations.
Independent

Sources Split

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The Spin

Democratic narrative

When Durham's investigation began, Trump promised the probe would "reveal corruption at a level never seen before in our country." Instead, as the saga concludes with this limited trial, Danchenko will likely be proven innocent. After scrutiny by the courts, Durham's claims will remain unfounded. This Trump-promised bombshell will likely be a dud as November's elections approach.

The Washington Post

Republican narrative

This trial will bring to light how Democratic operatives, conspiring with the FBI and the Justice Department, employed a dirty tricks campaign in an effort to illegally try to bring down Trump. These agencies need to be overhauled before Americans can trust them again.

Restoring America