Clintonian collusion with Russia [UPDATED]

We now know that the Clinton campaign paid Christopher Steele the funds he used to develop the infamous dossier on Donald Trump. We also know that, in compiling the dossier, Steele relied on Russian sources, including sources with Kremlin ties. For example, as Scott points out, Steele’s “Source B” is “a former high level Russian intelligence officer still active in the Kremlin’s inner circles.”

When Team Clinton enlisted Christopher Steele it knew he would rely on Russian sources. Indeed, it must have counted on him to do so.

Steele has an extensive background working for British intelligence on Russian matters, but he had retired from the government and wasn’t operating out of Russia. There was no way he could obtain valuable Russia-related “opposition research” on Trump without relying on Russian sources.

Moreover, it was always likely that Steele’s Russian sources of negative information on Trump would have ties with the Kremlin. It’s implausible to suppose that in a state like Russia, “freelance” Russian operatives would be able, independent of the government, to provide Steele with valauble information about Trump.

Thus, I agree with Scott’s conclusion that “the Trump Dossier represents Clintonian collusion with the Russian friends of former MI6 operative Christopher Steele, themselves friends of Vladimir Putin.” The inference that Team Clinton knew it would be getting the goods on Trump from Kremlin-connected Russians seems unavoidable.

UPDATE: It occurs to me that the FBI, when it saw the Trump dossier and the sources of the information contained therein, should have suspected, if not concluded: (1) that Team Clinton, funders of the research, was colluding with Kremlin-connected Russians and (2) that the Russian government may not have wanted Trump to win the election.

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