The transcript discusses the FBI's use of Christopher Steele's dossier in obtaining a surveillance warrant on former Trump campaign advisor George Papadopoulos. The FBI was aware that Steele was a paid informant, and they relied on him despite a lack of corroborating evidence. The dossier was used to obtain a warrant to surveil Papadopoulos in October 2016, and the FBI knew it was based on information from a Democrat-funded report. The FBI later found out that Steele's main source was a Democrat operative, which led to the conclusion that the information in the dossier was unreliable. The FBI did not correct this error in their subsequent application for a surveillance warrant on Papadopoulos, which was granted in January 2017, one week before Trump's inauguration. The transcript also raises questions about whether senior FBI and DOJ leaders were aware of these failures, and whether Jim Comey, Andrew McCabe, or Peter Strzok have been held accountable for these actions.
1. Christopher Steele, a former MI6 officer, was offered a million dollars by the FBI to provide corroborating evidence for his reporting. This payment was never made.
2. Steele's reporting was based on a single unnamed subsource.
3. On October 18, 2016, the FBI submitted an application for surveillance on Donald Trump, relying heavily on Steele's dossier, which provided no corroboration or collaboration for the substantive claims.
4. The FBI was aware that Steele had been hired by Fusion GPS, a law firm hired by senior Democrats, and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
5. In December 2016, the FBI determined that Igor Danchenko, a Russian nationalist previously subject to FBI investigation, was Steele's subsource.
6. The FBI did not talk to Danchenko before the next FISA application.
7. In January 2017, the FBI renewed the application for surveillance on Trump.
8. After two trips to FISA, the FBI finally talked to Danchenko and determined that the information in the Steele dossier was a Democrat operative, Dolan.
9. In March 2017, James Comey testified that the FBI had investigated Trump for collusion with Russia.
10. The FBI did not publicly discuss Pfizer-related investigations.
11. In April 2017, the FBI went back to Pfizer and reported that they had interviewed the principal source, who was credible.
12. The FBI continued through the summer of 2017, despite knowing that the information in the Steele dossier was uncorroborated.
13. Deputy Director McCabe and Assistant Director Peter Strzok were heavily involved in the investigation.
14. The FBI leadership knew about the uncorroborated allegations used in each FISA application.
15. The House Intelligence Committee and the lead prosecutor of the impeachment of President Trump were informed that this investigation was based on a Clinton campaign-funded report with a witness, Mr. Steele, claiming uncorroborated facts.
16. Despite the glaring violations, Jim Comey, Andrew McCabe, or Peter Strzok have not been held accountable or charged in any way.