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Posted on: November 5, 2021 at 13:42:12 CT

The memo also confirms that the spark for the FBI investigation into potential collusion between Trump's campaign and the Russians was not the Steele dossier, but rather the comments made by Trump adviser George Papadopoulos, who told an Australian diplomat in May 2016 that the Russians possessed "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of hacked emails.[38] That confirmation contradicts earlier claims by some that the investigation had been triggered by the Steele dossier.[39][40] The memo notes that Papadopoulos is mentioned in the Page FISA application, and says "there is no evidence of any cooperation or conspiracy between Page and Papadopoulos." It also says the FBI's Russia investigation was opened nearly three months before the FISA surveillance application[27] in late July 2016 by Peter Strzok, who is accused of having "a clear bias against Trump and in favor of Clinton."[27][35]