Trump and Putin in the midst of the Steele affair
The Steele Dossier, a 2016 opposition research report, has been a subject of intense debate and speculation since its publication. Commissioned by organizations associated with the Democratic presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, the dossier contains unverified allegations about President Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and purported Russian kompromat (compromising material) against Trump.
The dossier alleged that Putin supported Trump to divide the transatlantic alliance and return to a great power policy like the 19th century. However, these claims, like many in the dossier, remain unproven. Trump has denied specific allegations from the dossier, including the claim about participating in a sex party involving "golden showers" in a Moscow hotel.
U.S. intelligence confirmed Putin ordered an interference campaign to help Trump and that Russian operatives sought to cultivate Trump associates. The dossier's claim that Trump’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, coordinated with Russian operatives is supported by intercepted communications consistent with this narrative.
The Mueller report, an independent, comprehensive investigation by US special counsel Robert Mueller, found no evidence of criminal activity by the Trump team. Despite this, the topic of the dossier continues to be subject to suspicion and political debate. There is no confirmed evidence that Putin holds compromising material controlling Trump.
Orbis Business Intelligence, the firm that compiled the dossier, was not paid by Trump for the legal costs he was ordered to pay. Trump's lawsuit against Orbis in the UK failed due to a procedural issue. The lawsuit was aimed at restoring his reputation, according to his lawyer.
The nature of Trump's relationship with Putin has been a topic of speculation since Trump's presidency. The alleged findings by Steele were doubted by the FBI, and it is possible that it was a deliberate disinformation campaign from Moscow. Some find it inexplicable that Trump is friendly towards Putin.
As the Summit in Alaska involving President Trump and President Putin approaches, the speculation and debate surrounding the Steele Dossier continue. Trump has stated that nothing described in the dossier happened. "Golden showers" refers to urinating for sexual pleasure, a detail that has added to the salacious nature of the dossier's allegations. Despite the lack of proven evidence, the Steele Dossier remains a significant part of the political discourse surrounding Trump's presidency and his relationship with Russia.
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