Was the Trump-Russia investigation politically motivated from the start?

[Aarr!]

British spies were first to spot Trump team's links with Russia
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-spot-trump-team-links-russia

<< Britain’s spy agencies played a crucial role in alerting their counterparts in Washington to contacts between members of Donald Trump’s campaign team and Russian intelligence operatives, the Guardian has been told.

GCHQ first became aware in late 2015 of suspicious “interactions” between figures connected to Trump and known or suspected Russian agents, a source close to UK intelligence said.

Over the next six months a number of western agencies shared further information on contacts between Trump’s inner circle and Russians, sources said. >>

Why did it take until July 2016 for the FBI to open an investigation? We know that Comey and McCabe were Republicans. Were they trying to shield Trump?

 

[Nordberg]

Steele during his investigation in Russia found evidence of Russia interfering in the American elections and was sufficiently shocked that he informed the American intelligence agencies. That is how it all began. Steele did America a service.

 

[Bigdog]

If you want me to shup up about this, noise, please address the OP. Which do you go for:

- The Guardian made it up
- British intel made it up
- There is some truth in it.

Is there another option?

The Brit's "ex" head of MI6 created the pissgate dossier, using his spy connections, and made it look like an intel report, in order to affect the outcome of U.S. elections in the favor of the Hillbag. It's just another un-provable, manufactured "spy story" cooked up by British intel to influence our politics.

 

[Tranquillus in Exile]

The Brit's "ex" head of MI6 created the pissgate dossier, using his spy connections, and made it look like an intel report, in order to affect the outcome of U.S. elections in the favor of the Hillbag. It's just another un-provable, manufactured "spy story" cooked up by British intel to influence our politics.

If you're referring to Steele, he was never head of MI6. He ran a commercial intelligence operation specializing in Russia, and he used the same established network of "collectors" after Fusion GPS hired him. The information they collected may be true, partly true or false, but it couldn't possibly have affected the outcome of the election, because it wasn't public knowledge until AFTER the election.

In any case that has nothing to do with the Guardian article cited in the OP, which reports on information passed from British and several other foreign intel agencies to the US before Steele was hired.

 

[Bigdog]

If you're referring to Steele, he was never head of MI6. He ran a commercial intelligence operation specializing in Russia, and he used the same established network of "collectors" after Fusion GPS hired him. The information they collected may be true, partly true or false, but it couldn't possibly have affected the outcome of the election, because it wasn't public knowledge until AFTER the election.

In any case that has nothing to do with the Guardian article cited in the OP, which reports on information passed from British and several other foreign intel agencies to the US before Steele was hired.

You are correct, he was not head of MI6, but he was a top secret agent for them, and head of the Russian Desk for MI6.

"Steele was recruited by MI6 directly following his graduation from Cambridge, working in London at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) from 1987 to 1989.[4] From 1990 to 1993, Steele worked under diplomatic cover as an MI6 agent in Moscow, serving at the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Moscow.[1][8][10] Steele was an "internal traveller", visiting newly-accessible cities such as Samara and Kazan.[5]

Steele's identity as an MI6 officer was one of 115 names Her Majesty's Government attempted to suppress through a DSMA-Notice in 1999.[11][12] He returned to London in 1993, working again at the FCO until his posting to Paris in 1998, where he served under diplomatic cover until 2002.[10][13][14][15] In 2003, Steele was sent to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan as part of an MI6 team, briefing Special Forces on "kill or capture" missions for Taliban targets, and also spent time teaching new MI6 recruits.[10] Between 2006 and 2009, Steele headed the Russia Desk at MI6. ... "

 

[Celticguy]

Of course

 

[Truth Detector]

Was the Trump-Russia investigation politically motivated from the start?

YES. The notion that Russia had anything to do with Trump trouncing Hillary is probably the most moronic and idiotic narrative ever invented by the FAKE media and their allies in the Democratic Party of the Jackass.

 

[Truth Detector]

The FBI does have a well-known bias against criminals.

Whiny race hustling lying liberal thinks this isn't about politics.

 

[Truth Detector]

Was the Clinton-Email investigation politically motivated from the start?

No it wasn't; why do you stupidly believe it was?

I am amused when lying leftist morons try to argue that it is perfectly okay for Government employees at ANY level to conduct their business away from public scrutiny with private e-mail servers. Particularly when it involves highly classified communique. STFU, seriously.

 

[Truth Detector]

you tell us, so in nut-bag world the Clinton Email investigation WAS politically motivated , but the Trump Russian nothing burger was NOT?

I just want to try and understand nut-bag world, I really do but it's hard to follow the thinking of a brain that's basically mush, did you Mom have any children that survived, could you summon one of them to explain nut-bag world for us

The bolded.....

 

[Truth Detector]

You're right, no emails for Trump, he just invited the Russians to The WH and delivered the information directly from his Shit-Hole.

This is your brain on moron; don't be one.

 

[Truth Detector]

When Trump inevitably flees to Russia to escape prosecution, don't expect anyone to believe your attempt to re-brand like people allowed you to do after Bush.

Another whiny lying dumb leftist snowflake with severe TDS.

 

[Truth Detector]

Putin wants Trump to be indicted because Putin knows that Trump is a coward who would never expect to stand trial for any crimes, and Trump will inevitably flee to Russia where he can serve as a President-in-Exile that Putin's FSB can manufacture idiot support for on the internet, thereby creating a permanent and lasting question to the legitimacy of our political system. Putin will treat Trump like a deposed ruler, much how we treated the Shah of Iran after the Islamic Revolution there resulted in his exile. Putin will do the same thing with Trump; using Trump's self-imposed exile as an excuse to question the legitimacy of our system. And he will have 20% of Americans supporting that.

This is a tiny lying liberal brain on moron; don't be one.

 

[Truth Detector]

Really? What did the IG report say about the Trump-Russia investigation?

Please note: I am asking what it said, not what you want it to have said.

Incapable of reading it for yourself?

 

[Truth Detector]

Steele during his investigation in Russia found evidence of Russia interfering in the American elections and was sufficiently shocked that he informed the American intelligence agencies. That is how it all began. Steele did America a service.

Moron thinks the Steele dossier was factual.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

You're right, no emails for Trump, he just invited the Russians to The WH and delivered the information directly from his Shit-Hole.

He also uses an unsecured cell phone in state business.

 

[Tranquillus in Exile]

The report cited in the OP, which has nothing to do with the Steele dossier, appears to be a subject that neither Trumpsters nor normal people wish to discuss.

I can understand the reluctance of Trumpsters, because it destroys their narrative. They would much rather talk about Strzok and Page bad-mouthing Trump, or McCabe's wife's politics. ("Ask her what it feels like to be a loser" - President of the USA.)

What about normal people? If any of this is true, it shows that the Trump-Russia investigation was fully justified whether or not any collusion is established in the end.

 

[kudzu]

He also uses an unsecured cell phone in state business.

Please spend a few moments perusing this report in The Guardian (April 2017):

British spies were first to spot Trump team's links with Russia
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-spot-trump-team-links-russia

Or if you prefer it second hand, the Daily Mail:

British were first to pass on details of links between Donald Trump's campaign team and Russian agents
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4409712/British-spies-notice-Trump-Russia-links.html

Now, it's possible that The Guardian made the whole thing up, although they have never been known to do anything like that before.

Slightly more likely is that high-ups in British intelligence made it up and planted it in the press, presumably to oblige the "cousins".

Most likely, however, is that there are substantial elements of truth in the report, i.e. British and other allied intel agencies warned the US in early 2016 of "suspicious interactions" between members of the Trump team and Russian agents. This is not to say that there was collusion to swing the election, merely that there could have been - and whatever people say, this is not normal in US presidential elections.

Suppose you are CIA Director Brennan and you receive repeated warnings such as these from friendly sources, including the esteemed GCHQ. What do you do - ignore them?

GCHQ officials learned of the suspicious 'interactions' with Russia in late 2015
The GCHQ never carried out a targeted operation against Donald Trump
The alleged interactions were picked up as part of routine surveillance of Russian intelligence assets
Tip was passed on to the United States during a routine exchange of information
During the next six months into 2016, other agencies passed over information

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4409712/British-spies-notice-Trump-Russia-links.html

 

[kudzu]

Britain's spy agencies reportedly played a crucial role in revealing that President Donald Trump's campaign team was in contact with Russian intelligence operatives.

Once officials in the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) learned of suspicious 'interactions' between Trump's inner circle and suspected Russian agents in late 2015, they passed the information on to the United States.

The tip was passed on during a routine exchange of information, according to an intelligence insider.

During the following six months into 2016, a number of western agencies, including ones in Germany, Estonia and Poland, shared their own information about interactions between people close to Trump and Russians.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4409712/British-spies-notice-Trump-Russia-links.html

 

[cancel2 2022]

Britain's spy agencies reportedly played a crucial role in revealing that President Donald Trump's campaign team was in contact with Russian intelligence operatives.

Once officials in the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) learned of suspicious 'interactions' between Trump's inner circle and suspected Russian agents in late 2015, they passed the information on to the United States.

The tip was passed on during a routine exchange of information, according to an intelligence insider.

During the following six months into 2016, a number of western agencies, including ones in Germany, Estonia and Poland, shared their own information about interactions between people close to Trump and Russians.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4409712/British-spies-notice-Trump-Russia-links.html

Funny how many on the Left like to say the Daily Mail is right wing blah blah, yet still quote it when it suits their purpose.