Steele Dossier Source Heads to Trial
The trial of Igor Danchenko, a US-based Russian lawyer charged with five counts of lying to the FBI during its investigation into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, is set to commence at the US District Court of Alexandria, Va. on Tuesday.
Facts
- The trial of Igor Danchenko, a US-based Russian lawyer charged with five counts of lying to the FBI during its investigation into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, is set to commence at the US District Court of Alexandria, Va. on Tuesday.
- Danchenko - who provided key details for the "dossier" on former Pres. Trump to former British spy Christopher Steele - denied the charges and called for the judge to dismiss the case last week.
- The judge, Anthony Trenga, said government prosecutors – led by Special Counsel John Durham – met the burden of proof for the trial to proceed. However, he ruled that the Steele dossier's most incendiary allegations – that Trump hired prostitutes at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow – couldn't be included.
- Prosecutors allege that when questioned by the FBI about the contents of the Steele dossier, Danchenko misled them about the credibility of his sources by failing to reveal that the original source of the information was Charles Dolan, who worked for the Hillary Clinton campaign.
- The prosecution is the third to be brought forward by Durham, who was appointed in 2019 to investigate possible government wrongdoing during "Crossfire Hurricane" - the FBI's investigation into Trump's alleged Russian collusion accusations.
Sources: Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, NBC, and Independent.
Narratives
- Democratic narrative, as provided by The Washington Post. When Durham's investigation began, Trump promised the probe would "reveal corruption at a level never seen before in our country." Instead, as the saga concludes with this limited trial, Danchenko will likely be proven innocent. After scrutiny by the courts, Durham's claims will remain unfounded. This Trump-promised bombshell will likely be a dud as November's elections approach.
- Republican narrative, as provided by Washington Examiner. This trial will bring to light how Democratic operatives, conspiring with the FBI and the Justice Department, employed a dirty tricks campaign in an effort to illegally try to bring down Trump. These agencies need to be overhauled before Americans can trust them again.
