Scott Calls on FBI to Explain $1 Million Payment to Christopher Steele

Following the investigation into President Donald Trump (R) and his supposed “Russian collusion,” Republicans did some investigating of their own and found the eventual foul play by Christopher Steele and the infamous Steele Dossier. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is now asking the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz why the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) attempted to pay $1 million to Steele.

The letter is “demanding answers and accountability” according to Sen. Scott’s press release.

“Recent trial testimony elicited by Special Counsel John Durham revealed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in October 2016, offered the author of the infamous Steele Dossier $1 million to corroborate the salacious claims of Russian collusion with members of a presidential campaign,” writes Scott.

“This is a shocking revelation, not only because it further amplifies the FBI’s egregious abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act using unsubstantiated and uncorroborated information to surveil an American citizen, as well-documented in your own 2019 report on the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, but also because the sum in question raises serious concerns about the FBI’s allocation of the U.S. taxpayer dollars appropriated to it by Congress,” continued Scott.

The intelligence community is historically known for its commitment to nonpartisanship, but if the allegations are true, it could be harder for Americans to trust the institutions that are designed to honor the foundations of America’s representative republic and way of life.

“I appreciate your dedication to rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse in the U.S. Department of Justice. Americans must be able to have complete confidence in the integrity of our Federal government, including its allocation of U.S. taxpayer monies,” concluded Scott.

At the end of the letter, Sen. Scott has 3 main questions: What is the source within the FBI of the money for the alleged payment to Steele, what is the process in which the FBI allows such payments, and the Inspector General’s role in the payment?

Scott then asks for a written response by November 11^th.