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When the FBI was in contact with Christopher Steele, the ex-British spy who compiled his infamous dossier smearing then candidate Donald J. Trump, was it aware that his employer, Fusion GPS, was allegedly simultaneously working as an unregistered agent for Russian interests? This question among many others have yet to be answered. The following is a short timeline of earlier questions and important revelations from 2017 involving the Russia hoax which exposed the connections between Fusion GPS, the FBI, and the media. Many, if not all, of these remain unanswered to this day.

In a March 6, 2017, letter sent by Senator Chuck Grassley, at the time Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, to the former disgraced FBI Director James Comey, inquiring into the FBI’s agreement with ex-British Spy Christopher Steele over the creation of his dossier Grassley asks in part:

Were any other government officials outside of the FBI involved in discussing or authorizing the agreement with Mr. Steele, including anyone from the Department of Justice or the Obama White House?

Has the FBI relied on or otherwise referenced the memos or any information in the memos in seeking a FISA warrant, other search warrant, or any other judicial process? Did the FBI rely on or otherwise reference the memos in relation to any National Security Letters?

Who decided to include the memos in the briefings received by Presidents Obama and Trump? What was the basis for that decision?

Rest of Grassley letter. Note number 6 and number 9. pic.twitter.com/Lqjz6DBun7 — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) March 6, 2017

Next, in an April 28, 2017, letter by Grassley, once again left unanswered by Comey, the American public is given a glimpse into the hidden past of Fusion GPS.

Grassley writes:

Fusion GPS is the subject of a complaint to the Justice Department, which alleges that the company violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act by working on behalf of Russian principals to undermine U.S. sanctions against Russians. That unregistered work was reportedly conducted with a former Russian intelligence operative, Mr. Rinat Akhmetshin, and appears to have been occurring simultaneous to Fusion GPS’s work overseeing the creation of the dossier. I wrote to the Justice Department about this issue on March 31, copying you, and I have attached that letter here for your reference. The Justice Department has yet to respond.

Was FBI aware that FusionGPS was working as an unregistered agent for Russian interests at the time it made dossier? https://t.co/RXeGZkPvzV pic.twitter.com/kPSCVVZQYl — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) May 1, 2017

As Grassley noted in his letter gone unanswered on March 31, 2017, to Dana Boente, then Acting Deputy Attorney General:

It is highly troubling that Fusion GPS appears to have been working with someone with ties to Russian intelligence –let alone someone alleged to have conducted political disinformation campaigns– as part of a pro-Russia lobbying effort while also simultaneously overseeing the creation of the Trump/Russia dossier. The relationship casts further doubt on an already highly dubious dossier…in fact, it is unclear whether the FBI was or is aware of Fusion GPS’s pro-Russia lobbying and connection to Mr. Akhmetshin, or that these efforts coincided with the creation of the dossier.

Recall: Comey hearing 5/3/17. Grassley Q to Comey regarding FusionGPS. Would really like to know Comey's answer to Q https://t.co/yZGw9bjXg0 pic.twitter.com/BJKyrA3U7S — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) July 13, 2017

Reminder: Fusion GPS worked for multiple Trump Opponents before FBI sought partnership. https://t.co/AwfWwQj2ZO pic.twitter.com/jdnRnXXsb7 — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) July 12, 2017

Overlooked early on as well was the July 26, 2017, testimony from William Browder, Chief Executive Officer of Hermitage Capital Management regarding Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) violations connected to the anti-Magnitsky Campaign by Russian government interests. Mr. Browder explains how Fusion GPS operates as well as the methods used by Russian operatives in D.C. and how they exploit U.S. enablers to achieve foreign policy goals without disclosing those interests.

Important testimony from William Browder, Chief Exec Officer of Hermitage Captl Management, explaining Fusion GPS https://t.co/kWcJdGFJrK pic.twitter.com/PSPP6EDo7G — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) July 26, 2017

As investigative journalist Lee Smith alluded to back in 2017 following Browder’s testimony, “the fact that Fusion GPS was the source of both the anti-Magnitsky smear campaign and the anti-Trump dossier was perhaps too confusing, or too troubling for most reporters to consider.” Smith continues, “putting both stories together suggests both the Steele dossier and Fusion GPS’s anti-Magnitsky work were Russian state-sponsored hit-jobs.” I believe this to be true as the American press along with the DOJ and the FBI acted as a delivery vehicle for an outright disinformation campaign aimed directly at the incompetency of our government and indirectly at the American people.

Q: Did the FBI inform FISA court that the phony dossier it presented in support of a warrant was made by Dem oppo research firm Fusion GPS? https://t.co/HV60JUgZAN — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) July 26, 2017

Fusion GPS shared various versions of the phony Trump dossier with journalists, members of Congress, and the FBI. https://t.co/jmRlEwJtCt pic.twitter.com/rzbEDfLI3u — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) July 10, 2017

Wonder which journalists in D.C. were operating w/financial incentives to spread propaganda on behalf of Fusion GPS? pic.twitter.com/SKpdAciAGB — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) July 27, 2017

Recall: Former CIA Dir Michael Morell. “The intermediaries paid the sources & got $ from Steele” & who paid Steele? https://t.co/y95E5bnmK7 pic.twitter.com/DsankxIxJU — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) October 25, 2017

Court filing yesterday in regards to #FusionGPS from Deputy General Counsel for House Permanent Select Committee on Intel. "12 transactions associated w/ payments to 4 journalists & researchers..12 transactions associated w/ payments from Media Company A." https://t.co/n59yZSQa2c pic.twitter.com/xe9qooQT1m — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) November 22, 2017

From House Intel court filing yesterday, "Additional transactions requested by Committee include transactions related to Plaintiffs (#FusionGPS) work on behalf of another media outlet in which Plaintiff could have seeded its research, Media Company A." https://t.co/YBuGQM6ZYx pic.twitter.com/Jvq2dvy3ae — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) November 22, 2017

The network of journalists who take dossiers from Fusion GPS is rich and deep, which is how the company manages to seed so many stories around the media and make its money. h/t @LeeSmithDC https://t.co/vhww2OFZSU — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) December 4, 2017

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