Thread by @DrDenaGrayson

🔥TRANSCRIPT🔥

Despite objections of @ChuckGrassley & other @senjudiciary Republicans, @SenFeinstein decided to #ReleaseTheTranscript of Fusion GPS Glenn Simpson’s testimony‼️

I will *live* tweet commentary of the #transcript on this THREAD‼️

feinstein.senate.gov/public/_cache/…

The #transcript is *312 pages*. Things get JUICY on p62👉🏼Simpson describes the #SteeleDossier as ”broadly speaking, a kind of holistic examination of Donald Trump's business record...it evolved somewhat quickly into issues of his relationships to *organized crime figures*‼️🔥

Simpson says his work on the #SteeleDossier began in Sept/Oct 2015.🤔

Feinstein staffer Heather Sawyer asks WHO initially engaged Fusion to perform the opposition colonoscopy on @realDonaldTrump, says it was a REPUBLICAN‼️

Simpson/attorneys: GLOMAR🙄

Simpson’s “holistic” research of atrump included “financials, potential ties to organized crime. In “the very first weekend”, Simpson discovered Trump’s connections to “Italian organized crime & later to a #Russian🇷🇺organized crime figure named FELIX SATER‼️🔥

On Trump’s numerous ties to GLOBAL MAFIA figures: “It t wasn't hard to find, it wasn't any great achievement, it was in the New York Times”‼️🤨

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @drdenagrayson view original on Twitter

🔥WHOA🔥

Simpson said the FBI told Christopher Steele that the FBI had a “walk-in” whistleblower “from w/in the #Trump organization or campaign,” possibly on issues related to the alleged #comspiracy btwn Team🇷🇺Trump & #Russia‼️

thedailybeast.com/fusion-gps-sen…

I will post the #transcript excerpts behind this💣BOMBSHELL💣report as soon as I find them, but wanted to inform everyone of this.✌🏼

I’m reading ALL *312 pages* of the #transcript, so thanks in advance for your patience with me‼️🤓

@traciemac_Bmore

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @drdenagrayson view original on Twitter

Simpson wrote numerous front-page reports for the @WSJ on the #Russian🇷🇺mob, so he quickly connected #Trump’s pal FELIX SATER to Russian mafia kingpin, Semyon MOGILEVICH, who’s “involved in a lot of crime & criminal activity in the US” & was on FBI’s Most Wanted list‼️🔥

Simpson notes that #Russian🇷🇺organized crime is “very different” from Italian mob:

👉🏼involves in politics & banking
👉🏼connected to the KGB (now, they’re the FSB) & *CYBER CRIME*🔥

#SteeleDossier
#TrumpRussia

Simpson noted Trump’s LIES UNDER OATH that he didn’t know FELIX SATER.🙄

Trump *knew* Sater & of his ties w/#Russian🇷🇺mobsters‼️

Simpson was especially troubled by Trump’s business dealings w/FELIX SATER in #TrumpSoho & other “controversial“ projects (see prior excerpt).🤨

Simpson says Fusion FOLLOWED THE MONEY to find out *who* was bankrolling Trump, which “raised a lot of questions.”🤔

Some of Trump’s cash came from Kazakhstan (I mean, who doesn’t get cash from Kazakhstan?🤣)

Some of the cash, even super spy Steele *couldn’t account for*‼️🤨

Simpson’s team performed a thorough financial colonoscopy on Trump: “how could somebody go through so many bankruptcies...and still have a billion dollars in personal assets⁉️🤔

He noted that when the tax man came, Trump claimed “to not have much stuff.”🤨

Simpson says the #SteeleDossier work for his initial (Republican) ended in Spring 2016, then began anew with another (presumably Democrat) client. You know, because NO ONE does opposition research in politics <sarcasm>.🙄

About 6 months after Fusion began its opposition colonoscopy on Trump, Simpson hired #Steele & *other subcontractors* to “drill down on specific areas,” such as the Trump family’s use of “sweat shops in Asia & South America — or Latin America.”🔥

Hello, IVANKA‼️👋🏼👋🏼

Simpson says Fusion’s research uncovered numerous areas that required “drilling down”, including SCOTLAND‼️😳

Simpson underscores Chris #Steele’s IMPECCABLE resume, as the former “lead Russianist at MI-6”‼️

THANK YOU, Mr. Steele!🇬🇧🇺🇸🙏🏼

Simpson says there wasn’t a “particular trigger” to hire Steele, but instead said that Trump’s NUMEROUS trips to #Russia🇷🇺and talk of “a number of business deals” there that NEVER materialized required “explanation”.🤔

#TrumpRussia

Simpson also cited his concerns for “#corruption,” given the Trump Org’s global growth over the prior years👉🏼wanted to investigate potential “improper business relationships.”😎

Simpson said when he hired Steele, he did not “specifically remember” any public reports of a “cyber intrusion into the Democratic National <sic> Committee” (DNC), but had heard “chatter“ in DC of “hacking” of Democrats & think tanks.🤔

Simpson had worked w/ #Steele since 2009 and calls him “a Boy Scout”.😎

When Steele initially was hired to probe Trump, Fusion did NOT know what Trump had been doing during his numerous trips to #Russia🇷🇺.

Simpson notes that, in June of 2016, “NO ONE was really focused on...whether Donald Trump had a relationship w/the Kremlin🇷🇺.”

When #Steele started asking around in Moscow about Trump, “the information was sitting there. It wasn't a giant secret.”🔥

Just read 30+ pages. Simpson said he knows Rinat Akhmetshin, the “former” #Russian🇷🇺spy who attended the #RussianLawyer meet w/Jr, Kush & Manafort, via his firm’s work on the Prevezon case (hired by US lawyers working w/Veselnitskaya on the case).🤔

Simpson testified that he worked indirectly for the #RussianLawyer🇷🇺Natalia Veselnitskaya on the Prevezon case, and attended a “client dinner” along w/her on June 8, *the night before* the infamous Trump Tower meeting she had w/Team🇷🇺Trump.🤔

Apologies, folks...I’ve read 117 of 312 pages of Simpson’s #transcript, but I need a quick break.🤯

Be back in 15-20 minutes‼️✌🏼

Sorry...that last 30+ pages of questioning by Grassley's aide was PAINFUL‼️🤢

Republicans were *clearly* trying to SMEAR Christopher #Steele, the former British spy and "Boy Scout" whose work HELPED us‼️

One last meeting, then back to this MEGA-THREAD on the #transcript.🤗

IMPORTANT: Simpson's Fusion GPS firm worked a US law firm that the #RussianLawyer🇷🇺Natalia Veselnitskaya hired to help her in the Prevezon #MoneyLaundering case (Denis Katsyv).

But Christopher #Steele had NOTHING to do with the Prevezon case, or Rinat or Veselnitskaya‼️

I'm now up to p.138 of 312. LOTS of questions about people related to Prevezon and/or HRAGI (lobbyist shop on Russian🇷🇺#sanctions)👉🏼the Katsyv's, Ed Lieberman, Mark Cymrot, Robert Arakelian, Howard Schweitzer, Chris Cooper, Lanny Wiles, Paul Behrends, GOP @RepFrenchHill.🤔

Back to the #SteeleDossier‼️🤗

Simpson *confirms* that @BuzzFeed published ALL of #Steele's memos that he crafted for Fusion, plus a BONUS one‼️

STAND BY, folks...the #transcript is just now getting into the nitty-gritty on Trump‼️

#SteeleDossier
#TrumpRussia

🔥Simpson said Fusion's research showed that Trump's business deals were "so opaque" & involved "colorful characters."🤨

This prompted Fusion to DIG DEEP on Trump's business w/PARTICULAR emphasis on his ties w/*#Russian🇷🇺organized crime‼️🔥

🔥WHOA🔥

Simpson said Fusion's goal was to probe details of Trump's business dealings in #Russia🇷🇺including ties w/the mob, but what #Steele uncovered was "very different & obviously MORE ALARMING"👉🏼a "political #conspiracy"‼️

MORE ALARMING THAN BUSINESS WITH THE MOB⁉️

When #Steele delivered his FIRST memo (20Jun16), Simpson said there were "indicators" of "something bigger going on, the government of #Russia🇷🇺...was #hacking"‼️

Simpson added that when #Steele's memos starting rolling in, there were "rumblings" about #hacking" and "POLITICAL DIGITAL #espionage was going to be a component of the campaign."‼️🤨

Around the SAME TIME that #Steele began sending his memos, Simpson said, "Trump had said WEIRD THINGS about the #Russians🇷🇺and Putin and things that are very ATYPICAL for a Republican and that people found to be ODD."🙄

More like, ATYPICAL FOR AN AMERICAN‼️🤬

#SteeleDossier

🔥Simpson said #Steele's memos were "not what I had in mind" when he hired Steele, b/c he expected "something a lot less interesting...along the lines of a typical #corruption investigation."

Instead of *just* #corruption, Steele uncovered the #TrumpRussia🇷🇺conspiracy‼️

#Steele's sources INSIDE the Kremlin make it difficult to confirm his "ALARMING" findings (except for ICs), but Simpson said Fusion assessed Steele's findings as CREDIBLE.✅

One reason is Steele's "Sterling reputation," including w/people in the US government‼️

Simpson said that external events corroborated the #SteeleDossier. Fusion was already aware of some of Trump's trips & his hostility toward HRC, along w/"general knowledge" that fit w/#Steele's findings "in terms of dates & places & roles of people in the Kremlin🇷🇺.

Simpson previously reported on a #Chinese intel op during the US 1996 presidential election.🤨 He also had attended meetings w/US & allied ICs who expressed "great alarm" at #Russian🇷🇺intel ops INVOLVED IN POLITICS‼️🤬

I feel like I"m back in medical school, cramming for FINALS‼️🤯🤣😂🤣

On the other hand, we've waited for MONTHS to get this #transcript, so I think that it deserves our collective time.🇺🇸

Are you still with me⁉️

Simpson reported on PAUL MANAFORT's ties w/#Russian🇷🇺 & Ukrainian oligarchs considered "suspicious or corrupt." Manafort arranged a meet btwn OLEG DERIPASKA & @SenJohnMcCain before the 2008
election.🤨 Simpson thought the Russians were interested in making friends w/the GOP.🙄

💣BOOM💣

Simpson says the #SteeleDossier was "RIGHT ON TARGET" in its report that Trump was eager to get intel from #Russia🇷🇺about his political rivals👉🏼PROOF is the #RussianLawyer meeting at Trump Tower, when Jr, Kush & Manafort tried to get DIRT on Clinton FROM RUSSIA‼️

👇🏼THIS👇🏼

In the second paragraph of the FIRST PAGE of the #SteeleDossier, Steele reported that Trump & his inner circle accepted a "regular flow of intelligence from the #Kremlin🇷🇺, including on his Democratic & other political rivals"‼️

🔥WHOA🔥

After his FIRST #SteeleDossier memo, Steele told Simpson he thought there was a national "security issue about whether a presidential candidate (Trump) was being blackmailed" by #Russia🇷🇺 and he was "obligated to tell someone...in (the US) government"‼️

Simpson added that he thought Trump was engaging w/#Russia🇷🇺in "an illegal #conspiracy to violate the campaign laws" and agreed w/Steele that they should alert the FBI about "potentially a crime in progress"‼️

#TrumpRussia
#SteeleDossier

🔥Simpson testified that Chris Steele, the *former head of MI-6's #Russia🇷🇺group* felt OBLIGATED to inform the FBI that Donald Trump "was being BLACKMAILED or had been COMPROMISED" (via tapes of sex acts) by the #Russians‼️

This. Is. NOT. Normal‼️

Here again is the excerpt from the FIRST #SteeleDossier memo that specifically mentioned the #kompromat, including "perverted sexual acts" that #Russia🇷🇺has on Trump‼️🤢

Simpson described DISTURBING events, reported in the #SteeleDossier:

👉🏼#Russia hacked the DNC
👉🏼Team Trump changed the #GOP platform on Ukraine
👉🏼Page's speech in Moscow on dropping #sanctions
👉🏼Trump "continues to say mysterious things about what a great guy Putin is"🙄

By September, Simpson grew "very concerned" b/c things in the #SteeleDossier "corresponded quite closely with other events" which caused Simpson to view #Steele's reporting as "really serious and really credible."‼️

In September, the FBI asked #Steele to meet in Rome and turn over EVERYTHING on the #SteeleDossier. Simpson was OK with it, b/c he didn't expect DOJ/FBI to interfere in the middle of a campaign.🙄

🔥ESPIONAGE🔥

In Sept, Simpson said "it was obvious there was a crime in progress" & asked #Steele if he heard back from FBI after his July meeting.🤨

Q. What crime(s)?

Simpson: "#Espionage. They were hacking computers of Democrats & think tanks. That's a computer crime‼️

💣BOOM💣

Simpson testified that when #Steele gave the FBI "a full briefing" in Sept, they told him that a "human source INSIDE the Trump organization" had corroborated much of his #SteeleDossier‼️

@realDonaldTrump, you are NOT getting away with your CRIMES‼️

#TrumpRussia

Simpson testified that the FBI's #mole inside Team🇷🇺Trump was "someone like us who decided to pick up the phone and report something."

He said the FBI's source was INDEPENDENT from #Steele's, but DECLINED to ID the source out of FEAR of repercussions from getting "hurt"‼️😳

IMPORTANT: Simpson testified that #Steele was told about the FBI's mole *in September*, which means that the source is NOT PapaD, b/c he didn't flip until *January*‼️

That means SOMEONE ELSE squealed on Team🇷🇺Trump‼️🤗

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @DrDenaGrayson view original on Twitter

Simpson testified that @Comey's letter on re-opening FBI's probe of HRC's emails "made a lot of people, including us, concerned about what the heck was going on at the FBI."‼️🔥

Simpson testified that the NYTimes' story on October 31st saying that the FBI found no connections btwn Trump & #Russia🇷🇺"was a real Halloween special."‼️🙄

cc @ericgarland

External Tweet loading...
If nothing shows, it may have been deleted
by @DrDenaGrayson view original on Twitter

🔥WHOA🔥

After NYTimes' TOTALLY WRONG Oct'16 story on #TrumpRussia🇷🇺 Simpson says #Steele "SEVERED his relationship w/the FBI...there was a concern that FBI was being MANIPULATED for political ends by the Trump people... we didn't really understand what was going on."‼️😳

Simpson confirms that #Steele briefed MULTIPLE media outlets in Sept'16 on the #SteeleDossier findings, including NYTimes, Washington Post, Yahoo, the New Yorker, CNN (later clarified as ABC). NO ONE reported on it, until #Steele briefed @DavidCornDC in OCTOBER‼️

OK, folks....that's it for tonight. I need a BREAK‼️🤯

If I find any other JUICY nuggets in Simpson's 312-page #transcript, I will add to this thread later.🤗

Thanks for hanging in there with me‼️😊

#TrumpRussia
#SteeleDossier