This is unbelievable. Apparently, Christopher Steele used information from a CNN site that features posts from users to back up the Trump dossier. In other words, this information didn’t even come from supposed journalists. It came from everyday people on the internet who post stuff on the site.
The Washington Examiner reports:
Christopher Steele admitted using posts by ‘random individuals’ on CNN website to back up Trump dossier
Former British spy Christopher Steele admitted that he relied on an unverified report on a CNN website for part of the “Trump dossier,” which was used as a basis for the FBI’s investigation into Trump.
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According to deposition transcripts released this week, Steele said last year he used a 2009 report he found on CNN’s iReport website and said he wasn’t aware that submissions to that site are posted by members of the public and are not checked for accuracy.
A web archive from July 29, 2009 shows that CNN described the site in this manner: “iReport.com is a user-generated site. That means the stories submitted by users are not edited, fact-checked, or screened before they post.”
In the dossier, Steele, a Cambridge-educated former MI6 officer, wrote about extensive allegations against Donald Trump, associates of his campaign, various Russians and other foreign nationals, and a variety of companies — including one called Webzilla.
Twitchy has rounded up some reactions to this:
NEW: In a court deposition, Christopher Steele says he didn't realize CNN iReport was a user-generated site with stories that aren't edited, fact-checked, or screened, despite using an article he found there to verify some allegations in the Trump Dossier.https://t.co/tTOJNrNlA7
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) March 16, 2019
Christopher Steele admitted using posts by 'random individuals' on CNN website to back up Trump dossier https://t.co/YapTVH82hK
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 16, 2019
Turns out Master Spy Christopher Steele was every bit as careful, conscientious, and meticulous as we thought he was. From @JerryDunleavy: 'Christopher Steele admitted using posts by 'random individuals' on CNN website to back up Trump dossier.' https://t.co/jpA30IZ9ot
— Byron York (@ByronYork) March 16, 2019
So when liberals say something from the dossier is “verified”, does that mean they just used a message board comment as their source?
— Forty Years of Fine Tuning (@40YrsFineTuning) March 16, 2019
Wait. Super Spy Steele thought it was true because it was on the internet?????
— Cathy Buffaloe (@cathybuffaloe) March 16, 2019
This guy is worse than me writing a paper in college an hour before the due date.
— Udit (@uditgoyal95) March 16, 2019
And no one in the media figured this out until now? Unreal!
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