This is an update on an earlier story discussed, regarding Glenn Simpson, one of the founders of Fusion GPS, the political opposition research firm that commissioned the dossier on Donald Trump.
To recap, the earlier piece said that Simpson would be appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee next Wednesday.
According to Politico, that initial report may have been made in haste.
But the request for Simpson to appear was voluntary, and it’s unclear whether the committee will seek to compel his testimony.
Spokespeople for Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and ranking member Dianne Feinstein of California did not respond to requests for comment.
How much the Judiciary Committee hoped to glean from Simpson’s testimony is up for debate, but they apparently did not seek to compel him to testify at this time.
“I think we need to find out what the facts are and let the chips fall where they may,” said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the Judiciary Committee.
The committee called Simpson — who helped establish Fusion GPS in 2009 — to testify during a larger hearing about the role of foreign lobbying.
It was Simpson who hired Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence agent, to compile the dossier.
The dossier has yet to be confirmed, other than some of the dates that put Trump in Moscow.
The dossier alleges that the Kremlin has incriminating details about Trump’s visits to Russia. If true, it would be proof of leverage Russia holds against Trump, making him a liability in any U.S. government role, much less the presidency.
Trump has maintained that there is no truth to any of the details within the 35-pages of the dossier.
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