Leading Republican Senators are demanding a special counsel investigate the FBI and Justice Department’s handling of the Steele dossier.

Grassley, Graham, Cornyn, Tillis Seek Special Counsel to Work with Inspector General on Handling of Russia Investigation. https://t.co/Zjsl3HcMzZ pic.twitter.com/mD4aZ1jxg7 — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) March 15, 2018

FBI provided a further un-redacted version of the Steele referral memorandum drafted by Grassley & Graham asking whether Steele misrepresented the facts to the FBI and whether the FBI inaccurately reported the facts to the court. https://t.co/W9rRHiIAs1 pic.twitter.com/OyfUhWOjpL — Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) March 15, 2018

Washington Times reports:

TRENDING: FBI Agent Who Uncovered Weiner Laptop with Hillary's Emails says FBI Leadership Told Him to Erase All of His Findings

Sens. Charles E. Grassley and Lindsey Graham, the top Republicans who’ve been pursuing the issue, said an inspector general’s investigation is already underway, but it’s constrained by law and it will take someone with special counsel powers to get to the bottom of what happened. “Thus, we believe that a special counsel is needed to work with the Inspector General to independently gather the facts and make prosecutorial decisions, if any are merited,” said Mr. Grassley and Mr. Graham, who were joined in their request by Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis.

Grassley and Graham outed the FBI for attempting to suppress revelations inside the dossier. In a letter released on February 5th,outed the FBI for attempting to suppress revelations inside the dossier.

Other potential conflicts of interest became apparent when senators Grassley and Graham asked the FBI for permission to release the Steele criminal referral last month. Grassley says the FBI stonewalled — then claimed that unclassified information was actually classified and said it could not be released. Unlike the House of Representatives, which has processes allowing members to release formerly classified material without FBI approval, the Senate requires the FBI’s permission. That’s why the documents released today still contain significant blacked out or redacted portions. The FBI’s explanation for that is also partly redacted. FBI Assistant Director for Congressional Affairs Gregory Bower stated “the FBI cannot and will not weaken its commitment to protecting [redacted]. Public reporting about [redacted] does not affect the FBI’s policy with respect to classification [redacted] nor does it diminish our obligations [redacted].”

Steele has admitted part of “his final December memo,” was unvetted.

“Such intelligence was not actively sought; it was merely received,” Steele told a D.C. court.

According to a recent WSJ report, the Obama Justice Department relied on information obtained by Steele, to spy on Trump campaign aide, Carter Page, during the final days of the 2016 presidential election.

Steele infamously compiled the discredited dossier detailing alleged sex acts performed by then-businessman Donald Trump inside a swanky Moscow hotel suite in 2013.

A new report confirms former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper briefed President Barack Obama on the “golden showers” allegations laid out in the Steele dossier.

This week, Fox News contributor Sara Carter revealed that Clapper allegedly leaked key information to CNN stemming from classified briefings to both President Obama and President-Elect Trump about the Steele dossier.