[The Hill] The private research firm behind a dossier full of incendiary allegations about President Trump is in the public crosshairs after the firm’s founder spent 10 hours behind closed doors with Senate investigators this week.
The firm, Fusion GPS, has become a political football in the increasingly complex investigations into the Trump campaign’s alleged ties to Russia.
Trump, backed by the Republican National Committee, has sought to discredit the firm by tying it to both Democrats and the Russian government and suggesting that the unsubstantiated material in the dossier helped spark the federal investigation into his campaign.
But Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is calling for founder Glenn Simpson to testify publicly before the Senate Judiciary Committee, arguing that he has "potential knowledge" about "matters relating to Trump collusion with the Russian meddling [and] possible obstruction of justice."
Committee Republicans, meanwhile, are raising questions about any lobbying work that Fusion GPS may have done on behalf of Russian interests -- allegations that have linked the company to the 2016 meeting between a Russian government lawyer and members of Trump's campaign, including Donald Trump Jr.
Here are five things to know about Fusion GPS as lawmakers and special counsel Robert Mueller continue their investigations into Russian meddling in the presidential election. |