GOP Senators Refer Trump-Russia Dossier Author for Criminal Probe

In a shocking move Friday afternoon, GOP Senators Chuck Grassley and Lindsey Graham referred the so-called “Trump dossier” writer Christopher Steele for criminal investigation. They are referring him to the Justice Department for what they say are potential violations regarding inconsistencies Steele made in statements provided to authorities. “I don’t take lightly making a referral for criminal investigation. But, as I would with any credible evidence of a crime unearthed in the course of our investigations, I feel obliged to pass that information along to the Justice Department for appropriate review,” Grassley said in a statement. Yesterday evening, according to a release from the Committee on the Judiciary, Grassley and Graham delivered to the Senate Security a letter and classified memorandum to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray that formed the basis of this referral. They note, however, that the referral does not pertain to the “veracity of claims contained in the dossier,” but rather “is for further investigation only, and is not intended to be an allegation of a crime.”