In more than 150 pages of testimony released by the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday, Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of the firm behind the so-called “Steele dossier,” alleged a constellation of business deals that he said suggested the Russians could be laundering money through then-candidate Donald Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE.

Simpson stopped short of saying the firm had found definitive proof of such dealings, telling investigators that, “evidence, I think, is a strong word.”

Some of Trump’s dealings, Simpson told lawmakers, showed “patterns of buying and selling that we thought were suggestive of money laundering.”

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The testimony is likely to reinforce battle lines surrounding the dossier, a compendium of opposition research memos compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele as part of the firm’s research into the real estate mogul.

Some of the allegations in the memos have been disproven, and Republicans have largely argued that the document is a politically motivated hit job on the president.

Democrats, meanwhile, have argued that the dossier could provide the framework for meaningful inquiry into Trump’s alleged ties to Russia, citing Steele’s credibility in the intelligence community. Other elements of the dossier have been confirmed and supporters of the document say it broadly describes an observable pattern of concerning contacts between Moscow and the Trump campaign.



Simpson’s firm, Fusion GPS, was contracted initially by the conservative organization Washington Free Beacon and later by the law firm Perkins Coie acting on behalf of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), as he confirmed in his testimony to the Intelligence Committee.

The testimony provided a handful of new details about the production of the dossier.

Simpson told investigators that, to his knowledge, Steele did not pay any of his sources for the memos.

He revealed that Fusion was paid about $50,000 a month by Perkins Coie, a fee he described as a flat rate. Steele was paid $160,000 he said, with an original engagement of about $20,000 to $30,000.

Democrats immediately used the release of the transcript to urge further investigation of what Rep. Adam Schiff Adam Bennett SchiffTop Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence Overnight Defense: Top admiral says 'no condition' where US should conduct nuclear test 'at this time' | Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Overnight Defense: House to vote on military justice bill spurred by Vanessa Guillén death | Biden courts veterans after Trump's military controversies MORE (D-Calif.) described as “serious allegations that the Trump Organization may have engaged in money laundering with Russian nationals.”

“Thus far, Committee Republicans have refused to look into this key area and we hope the release of this transcript will reinforce the importance of these critical questions to our investigation,” Schiff said.

Rep. Mike Conaway Kenneth (Mike) Michael ConawayLive coverage: Democrats, Republicans seek to win PR battle in final House impeachment hearing Laughter erupts at hearing after Democrat fires back: Trump 'has 5 Pinocchios on a daily basis' Live coverage: Schiff closes with speech highlighting claims of Trump's corruption MORE (R-Texas), who is leading the investigation, declined to comment through a spokesperson.

Some committee Republicans, including chairman Devin Nunes Devin Gerald NunesSunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Sunday shows preview: With less than two months to go, race for the White House heats up Sunday shows preview: Republicans gear up for national convention, USPS debate continues in Washington MORE (R-Calif.), have consistently said they have seen no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The interview with Simpson took place in November.

Simpson pointed to a series of Trump’s business dealings that he viewed as particularly suspicious, suggesting that some of his previous property sales could have potentially been used as leverage against him.

“Generally speaking, the patterns of activity that we thought might be suggestive of money laundering were, you know, fast turnover deals and deals where there seemed to have been efforts to disguise the identity of the buyer,” Simpson told the lawmakers.

Those patterns, Simpson said, first came to his attention when the project was funded by the Washington Free Beacon.

Simpson suggested that the business mogul did deals with Russian oligarchs, who doubled as mafia members, who remain largely under the control of Putin.

“If people who seem to be associated with the Russian mafia are buying Trump properties or arranging for other people to buy Trump properties, it does raise a question about whether they're doing it on behalf of the government," he continued.

The document is the second congressional interview with Simpson to be released to the public. The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinMcConnell says Trump nominee to replace Ginsburg will get Senate vote Top Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence Intensifying natural disasters do little to move needle on climate efforts MORE (D-Calif.), earlier in the month bypassed Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to release the transcript of that committee’s 10-hour interview with Simpson.

In the Intelligence Committee testimony, as in the Senate document, Simpson put forward a full-throated defense of Fusion’s work, and described the decision by Steele to brief the FBI on his findings out of “a citizenship obligation.”

The release of the transcript comes as the political fight over the dossier continues to roil Capitol Hill. Some Republicans have suggested that the bureau inappropriately used the dossier — once described by former FBI Director James Comey James Brien ComeyBook: FBI sex crimes investigator helped trigger October 2016 public probe of Clinton emails Trump jabs at FBI director over testimony on Russia, antifa Graham: Comey to testify about FBI's Russia probe, Mueller declined invitation MORE as “salacious and unverified” — as the sole basis for the federal investigation into possible Trump campaign ties to Russia.

Earlier this month, Grassley and Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamMomentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Video of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral Warning signs flash for Lindsey Graham in South Carolina MORE (R-S.C.) asked the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation into Steele, with Graham accusing the former spy of “shopping this dossier all over the world” while acting as an informant for the FBI.