Former MI6 agent, Christopher Steele, levels allegations against former US President Donald Trump, accusing him of acts that have reportedly jeopardized U.S. operations in Russia. These allegations are believed to stem from a concealed association between Steele and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka.
What Happened: The Times reported on Tuesday that Steele claims Trump’s public revelation of his confidential testimony led to threats against Russian informants, two of whom have since disappeared. Steele insists that Trump learned of his friendship with Ivanka through a Justice Department review, which, in his view, sparked Trump’s retaliatory actions against him and his London-based firm, Orbis Business Intelligence.
“My understanding is that Ms Trump had not disclosed our relationship to her father and that his discovery of it through the [Department of Justice] review severely damaged their relationship. I infer that [Trump's] discovery of my friendship with his daughter further deepened his animus towards me and is one of the reasons for his vindictive and vexatious conduct towards me and Orbis,” said Steele, according to the report.
Trump is currently suing Steele and his company, Orbis, under data protection law, for a dossier alleging Russian interference in the 2016 election, which Trump declares contains “numerous false, phony or made-up allegations”.
Steele, a former head of U.K.’s Secret Intelligence Service’s Russia desk, contends that Trump’s actions represent “one of the most egregious breaches of intelligence rules and protocol by the [U.S.] government in recent times”.
Trump, meanwhile, has refuted Steele’s claims about his relationship with Ivanka as “reckless,” and “untrue and disgraceful.” He avows that his legal action aims for “vindication,” not to financially cripple Orbis.
A decision on whether the lawsuit can proceed is anticipated within the next few weeks.
Why It Matters: This development is the latest chapter in an ongoing feud between Trump and Steele. As detailed in a previous Benzinga article Trump article, Trump had earlier sued Steele and his firm, Orbis Business Intelligence, at the London High Court.
The lawsuit centered around a controversial dossier Steele compiled in 2016, which contained unverified allegations about Trump that stirred considerable political uproar ahead of Trump’s inauguration. Trump is suing for alleged breaches of British data protection laws. The outcome of this ongoing legal battle could have significant implications for both parties.
Photo by Evan El-Amin on Shutterstock
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