The Russian analyst connected to the anti-Donald Trump ‘Steele dossier’ has been arrested

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A Russian analyst who contributed to a dossier of Democratic-funded research on the relationship between Russia and Donald Trump has been arrested on allegations of lying to the FBI about his sources of information, among them an associate of Hillary Clinton .

Key points: Igor Danchenko is an important resource for a former British spy compiling a dossier about Donald TrumpMr Danchenko is a US-based Russian who specializes in Russian and Eurasian affairs in a think tankAccording to the accusation, the FBI “devoted substantial resources to the attempt to investigate. [Mr Danchenko’s] allegation “

The case against Igor Danchenko is part of special adviser John Durham’s ongoing investigation into the source of the FBI’s investigation into whether Mr Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia conspired to tip the outcome of the presidential election in that person.

The indictment is the third criminal case brought by Mr Durham and the second in two months.

The case does not downplay the findings of investigators that the Kremlin assisted the Trump campaign-findings not based on the dossier-but it does endorse long-standing concerns that the FBI-relied on opposition investigation into the investigation in Russia was plagued by unconfirmed statements.

The five-count indictment accuses Mr Danchenko of making multiple false statements to the FBI when interviewed in 2017 about his role in collecting information for Christopher Steele, a former British spy paid by Democrats to investigate the connections. between Mr Trump and Russia.

Mr Danchenko, a US -based Russian who became an expert on Russian and Eurasian issues as an analyst at the Brookings Institution think tank, was a valuable resource for Mr Steele as he compiled his dossier.

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That dossier, the target of intense satire from Mr Trump, was provided to the FBI and used by federal authorities as they applied for and received surveillance warrants targeting a former Trump campaign aide.

According to the indictment, Mr Danchenko repeatedly lied to the FBI about his sources of information and that deception was important because the FBI had “devoted substantial resources to attempting to investigate and substantiate the allegations” in the dossier and ” large part ”will rely on that research in obtaining surveillance warrants.

A lawyer for Mr Danchenko had no immediate comment.

The indictment says Mr Danchenko deceived the FBI by denying that he discussed any allegations in the dossier with a contact of his who worked as a public relations executive and also a longtime Democratic operative who campaigned for Ms Clinton.

The accusation alleges that Mr Danchenko derived one or more allegations in the dossier without identifying himself as Clinton’s colleague, who was not named in court papers.

The Justice Department inspector-general blamed the FBI and the Justice Department for their handling of the dossier.

Cybersecurity attorney Michael Sussmann pleaded not guilty to lying to the FBI during a conversation in 2016, with Mr Durham’s team saying he hid with the FBI that he presented concerns as an attorney for Clinton’s campaign.

Last year, Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI attorney, admitted he altered an email related to the tracking of Trump aide Carter Page.

AP

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