We know the initial spin on the Horowitz report was that, as James Comey stated, everyone had been exonerated, but none of that is holding up after a review of the actual report. Sen. Chuck Grassley tweeted Wednesday that the FBI fed the FISA court “a bunch of hogwash” with the Steele dossier.
FISA report shows Steele dossier built on lies&rumor Graham/Grassley crim referral of Steele Jan 2018 looks like tip of iceberg compared 2details exposed by IG re politically motivated Steele dossier. FBI fed FISA court a bunch of hogwash knowing Steele dossier had NO credibility
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) December 11, 2019
As Twitchy reported back in January 2018, Sens. Grassley and Lindsey Graham wrote a referral to the Department of Justice regarding possible misstatements Christopher Steele made to the FBI on his anti-Trump dossier. The Daily Caller’s Chuck Ross called it at the time the Devin Nunes memo “on steroids.” (For what it’s worth, Rosie O’Donnell sent a profane tweet telling Grassley he should be ashamed of himself for “attacking” Steele.)
Grassley’s press office has put together quite a thread of reactions to his and Graham’s criminal referral in light of the IG report and what we know about how the FISA warrant was obtained and renewed:
Criticism of the Grassley-Graham criminal referral of Christopher Steele hasn’t aged well. Let’s do a look-back at how media and commentators received the referral in January 2018. https://t.co/8xyIxiMDew
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
First, the @senjudiciary Ranking Member tried to buttress the now debunked allegations in the Steele dossier. https://t.co/RFvMsgoUMH
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
The Ranking Member even issued a now-somewhat-embarrassing “refutation” of the referral. https://t.co/BAmv4eSPx1
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
CNN commentator @renato_mariotti says the referral, which called into question Christopher Steele’s credibility, wasn’t a “legitimate effort” … hmm…https://t.co/2x42cgsSMC
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
He also made the surprising claim that the “dossier isn’t bogus” without any apparent factual backing…https://t.co/Z4lqpyPVfO
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
Evidently, the @FBI did the same when seeking spying authority on an American citizen. Here’s what the IG said (p. 360): pic.twitter.com/zJoaHQsocm
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
Liberal columnist for the Washington Post, @JRubinBlogger, called the referral “entirely inappropriate” and said it “raises a real question as to Grassley’s credibility.” https://t.co/xe9TZHu2BG
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
Excuse us … Jennifer Rubin is the Washington Post’s conservative columnist. Carry on.
Fellow liberal blogger @MaxBoot thought “the Steele dossier looks more credible all the time.” https://t.co/dGBRrlBpjs
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
.@NormEisen, WHO NOW WORKS FOR HOUSE DEMOCRATS ON IMPEACHMENT, thought in March 2018 that the “dossier is more & more corroborated by the day.” Nope.https://t.co/iIVHJ8pO1D
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
Eisen thought “Fusion GPS & Steele were careful & responsible” and the Grassley-Graham referral was “not merited”https://t.co/d4XOz0rkEl
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse was on the same page. https://t.co/0mlZasRHtp pic.twitter.com/qG3VwCWKki
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
But the IG, who Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats spent today praising for his independence and thoroughness, disagreed with all of them (p. 239): pic.twitter.com/YdlJbMjU51
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
The IG called the FBI’s unsourced flip flop on Steele’s contacts with the press “disturbing.” Those contacts were at the heart of the referral.https://t.co/pF4Ni6MNjd
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
The IG also reported that it was the Grassley-Graham referral that alerted officials about Bruce Ohr’s involvement in feeding Steele’s oppo research to the FBI *after* Steele was fired as a source for lying about those contacts with the press (p. 235): pic.twitter.com/Sm64QJ2HgU
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
Even straight news reporters pushed out claims that weren’t substantiated about the dossier and its relevance to the FISA. CNN’s @jimsciutto said US gov’t had “corroborated portions” of dossier—when in fact, sub-source said it was bunk. https://t.co/VirSgRNTcA
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
And he noted that FBI would vet and “corroborate information in dossier on its own before using such intel to justify the FISA”… Nope. https://t.co/BLxD7KbmsW
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
CNBC’s @JohnJHarwood was repeating unsubstantiated conjecture about how the dossier ‘holds up well over time’https://t.co/OqoyvvIUWS
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
Former WSJ and current WaPo reporter Shane Harris went out on a limb to make this claim, which has not borne out: https://t.co/fyIB3q2QTo
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
Actually, despite the credibility issues of its author and the uncorroborated nature of its substance, and its political origins, the Steele dossier played a “critical and essential role” in the FBI’s decision to pursue the FISA against Page (p. iv): pic.twitter.com/F2rKzGHzrE
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
If you have more examples of unfortunate analysis that hasn’t aged well (it’s in no short supply) about the dossier or the FISA warrant from the last two years, reply with them here.
— Sen. Grassley Press (@GrassleyPress) December 11, 2019
Related:
‘OMG’! Rep. Matt Gaetz shows Dem counsel’s ‘pee tape’ tweet at impeachment hearing and destroys ‘nonpartisan investigator’ spin https://t.co/4xgbhedILA
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 9, 2019
