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Democratic senator releases Fusion GPS testimony in Russia probe
Thomson Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday released testimony from the founder of the Fusion GPS firm that researched President Donald Trump's ties to Russia and produced a dossier denounced by the White House.
The Washington research firm has been under attack by the White House and Republican lawmakers over the dossier, which is central to investigations in Congress and by a federal special counsel into allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to help Trump win.
"The innuendo and misinformation circulating about the transcript are part of a deeply troubling effort to undermine the investigation into potential collusion and obstruction of justice," Feinstein said in a statement. "The only way to set the record straight is to make the transcript public."
Fusion GPS founder Glenn Simpson had asked that a transcript of his 10 hours of testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee staff be made public, Feinstein said.
The congressional panel is one of three investigating Russia's activities in the election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.
Feinstein released the testimony after the panel's Republican chairman, Charles Grassley, on Friday called for a criminal investigation into former British spy Christopher Steele, who was working for Fusion GPS when he compiled a "dossier" of allegations of financial and personal links between Trump, his advisers and Russia.
Simpson and Fusion co-founder Peter Fritsch had urged the committee's Republican leaders to release transcripts of their testimony in a New York Times opinion piece last Tuesday entitled "The Republicans' Fake Investigations."
Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of meddling in the U.S. election and Trump denies any collusion between his campaign and Moscow officials.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Susan Thomas)
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