GOP/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “Two Republican senators have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into whether the author of a controversial research document on President Donald Trump lied to investigators.
Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said they have seen evidence that former British spy Christopher Steele made false statements to federal investigators about how he disseminated his research, which has taken center stage in the investigation into Russian activity during the 2016 election.
The two senators stressed on Friday that they were requesting ‘further investigation only, and is not intended to be an allegation of a crime.’ They are senior members of the congressional panel that oversees the Justice Department and have access to classified, nonpublic information as part of their oversight responsibilities. They didn’t provide details on what evidence they had seen in deciding to make the referral…
The referral marks the latest twist in a political and legal drama over the origins and accuracy of a 35-page dossier, which contains salacious and unverified allegations about the president.”
-Byron Tau, “Senators Ask Justice Department to Open Criminal Probe Into Trump Dossier Author,” The Wall Street Journal online, Jan. 5, 2018 02:36pm