Washington (CNN) The retired British spy who wrote an explosive dossier about President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Russia broke his silence to criticize Trump and the "distorted" state of US politics.

The former spy, Christopher Steele, wrote to Vanity Fair shortly after he was named to the magazine's "2018 New Establishment List." CNN reviewed a copy of Steele's email, which included his most political comments since his dossier gained international attention in January 2017.

"In these strange and troubling times, it is hard to speak unpalatable truths to power, but I believe we all still have a duty to do so," Steele said. "I salute those on your list, and otherwise, who have had the courage to speak out over the last year, often at great personal cost."

Steele went on to say, "(A)t a time when governance is so distorted and one-sided, as I believe it currently is in the United States, the media has a key role to play in holding it accountable."

The ex-spy also lamented that due to "the present legal and political situation," he could not attend a Vanity Fair summit in Los Angeles featuring many of the newsmakers on the list. Despite global intrigue with his story, Steele has avoided public events out of fear for his safety.

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