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Did you just really say that nobody from the campaign had been charged with meeting or having contacts with Russians and then number of people from the campaign that had been charged with lying to federal officers about having just that? :roll: And just because Carter Page hasn't been charged with anything yet doesn't mean that he's innocent or in the clear. Many counter-intelligence investigations end or go on with no arrests. Especially when the primary objective of the counter-intelligence operation is to gather intel and information. And Steele's dossier was given serious consideration because the FBI having worked with Steele in the past held him in high regard as being a reliable trusted source and the dossier itself over time has actually held up rather well. And please let's just stop with the Trump has been harder on Russia than Obama was nonsense as whatever sanctions and limits that have been placed upon Russia since the election were done over the objections of the White House.
PapaD, and Flynn and I guess Manafort were not charged with meeting with Russians, just lying about it. Which suggests no crime was committed in the discussion.
Counter-intelligence is indeed about information gathering, not criminal prosecution ( which is why Trump firing Comey was not obstruction of justice. His probe into Russia was not about seeking justice). However, FISA warrants on Americans do require evidence of a crime and Page has had at least four 4 FISA warrants issued on him in the past five years; no charges filed for anything.
The Trump Admin has sent lethal military aid to the Ukrainian government, which the Obama Admin had declined.
It's not so much whether the FBI trusted Steele, but rather the nature of that trust. FBI protocols require info they use for a FISA warrant to be vetted. And Comey and McCabe had both testified the dossier was NOT vetted.