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Fact check: How did the FBI use the Steele dossier in their investigation of Russian interference?
1. Summary of the results
The FBI used the Steele dossier as a key component to obtain FISA surveillance warrants on Carter Page, a Trump campaign aide, as part of their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election [1] [2]. The dossier was created as part of opposition research funded by the Clinton campaign [1].
According to recently declassified materials, the FBI had received intelligence indicating that the Clinton campaign may have been creating a false narrative about Trump and Russia before they used the Steele dossier to obtain the FISA warrants [1]. The Durham report's classified annex reveals that intelligence community sources had credible foreign intelligence suggesting the FBI would play a role in spreading the alleged Trump-Russia collusion narrative before the bureau launched its investigation [3].
The dossier was also reportedly used as one of the source documents in creating an Intelligence Community Assessment that claimed Putin aspired to help President-elect Trump's election chances [4].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
The original question lacks several critical pieces of context that emerge from the analyses:
- The FBI's knowledge of potential Clinton campaign manipulation: The FBI was aware of intelligence suggesting the Clinton campaign might be creating false narratives about Trump-Russia connections, yet proceeded to use Clinton-funded opposition research (the Steele dossier) in their investigation [1].
- Classified documents discovery: FBI Director Kash Patel recently discovered thousands of sensitive Trump-Russia probe documents in "burn bags" in a secret room at the FBI, including materials related to the Durham investigation [3]. This suggests potential document concealment or mishandling.
- Competing narratives about legitimacy: While some sources characterize the FBI's actions as part of a "years-long coup against Trump" [4], others argue that the administration's allegations about the Russia investigation "don't add up" and are "wildly misleading" [5].
Political and institutional actors who would benefit from different interpretations include:
- Democratic Party leadership and Clinton campaign operatives who benefit from portraying the investigation as legitimate
- FBI leadership who benefit from defending their investigative methods
- Trump and Republican allies who benefit from characterizing the investigation as politically motivated
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The original question appears neutral but omits the controversial context surrounding the dossier's origins and the FBI's knowledge of potential political manipulation. By asking simply "how" the FBI used the dossier without acknowledging the documented concerns about the dossier's political origins and reliability, the question may inadvertently frame the FBI's use as routine investigative procedure [1] [5].
The question also fails to acknowledge that the FBI's reliance on the Steele dossier has been heavily criticized as flawed and that there are ongoing disputes about whether the FBI's actions constituted legitimate counterintelligence work or political interference [5] [4].