Chuck Grassley Is Furious Dianne Feinstein Released Fusion GPS Head’s Complete Testimony on Trump-Russia Dossier

Grassley Accuses Feinstein of Scaring Off Witnesses, but He’s The One Who Recommended Charges Against Dossier Author Christopher Steele Last Week

Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is furious the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday released the complete 312-page transcript of the head of the firm that commissioned the Trump-Russia dossier. Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of Fusion GPS, was interviewed by the Judiciary Committee, and recently expressed outrage that Senate Republicans are cherrypicking and leaking snippets of his testimony. In a New York Times op-ed titled, “The Republicans’ Fake Investigations,” Simpson demanded the transcript be released in full.

Senator Grassley, who at nearly every turn has worked to protect President Trump, on Tuesday blasted Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who released the bombshell transcript just a few hours earlier. The Iowa Republican falsely claimed that Sen. Feinstein’s actions would make it harder for others to testify behind closed doors. Again, Simpson had demanded his testimony be released.

“It’s totally confounding that Senator Feinstein would unilaterally release a transcript of a witness interview in the middle of an ongoing investigation,” Senator Grassley’s spokesperson Taylor Foy said in a statement. 

“But more importantly, Feinstein’s unilateral decision was made as the committee is still trying to secure testimony from other witnesses, including Jared Kushner,” Foy continued. “Her action undermines the integrity of the committee’s oversight work and jeopardizes its ability to secure candid voluntary testimony relating to the independent recollections of future witnesses,” the statement insists, falsely.

Fusion GPS hired retired MI6 British spy Christopher Steele to draft the Trump-Russia dossier. The document itself began as opposition research funded by Republicans. Contrary to lies by President Trump and others on the right, it did not cost $12 million, and in fact Steele was paid just $168,000. 

For that, and rather than suggest charges for someone who committed an actual crime uncovered by Steele, Senators Grassley and Lindsey Graham last week notified the Dept. of Justice it should investigate Steele for supposedly lying to Congress. That, more than releasing the transcript, is what will prevent others from being interviewed by Grassley’s committee. 

The actual Trump-Russia dossier includes allegations of strong ties between Donald Trump and Russia, offers salacious sexual details, and is highly incendiary.

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