Trump’s cabinet nominees diverge on Russia, security issues

WASHINGTON—Donald Trump’s picks for top national security posts diverged from the president-elect’s positions on key issues during confirmation hearings a week before the inauguration, increasing uncertainty about what policies the incoming administration would pursue, even on matters almost entirely under White House control. Retired Gen. James Mattis, the secretary of defense nominee; Rex Tillerson, named […]

Russians named in Trump dossier dismiss claims

MOSCOW—Russians named in an unverified dossier on President-elect Donald Trump reacted with incredulity to allegations they were tied to Kremlin-led efforts to interfere with the U.S. elections. The dossier contains claims that Russian officials have compromising evidence about Mr. Trump’s behavior that could be used to blackmail him, and that the Kremlin colluded with members […]

He who is without Kompromat among you, let him cast the first stone

Ladies and gentleman, take my advice: pull down your pants, and slide on the ice–take a chill pill! Though a brother of shaky faith, and having been raised a Catholic man nonetheless, I know as well as the next future pontiff the story cited in John 7:8 of Gideons Old Testament: Jesus of Nazareth (not […]

Mattis confirmation hearing: No mad dog, but a warrior diplomat

Today was General James Mattis‘ confirmation hearing, following which the waiver for him to serve as Secretary of Defense was signed off on.  Contradicting the internet memes and media reputation, General Mattis conducted himself as a the well-read professional that we would have expected from him, rather than a “mad dog.” While a confirmation hearing […]

Trump dossier spotlights Russian history of ‘Kompromat’

MOSCOW—The public airing of a dossier Tuesday on President-elect Donald Trump casts a spotlight on Russia’s dark art of kompromat, the practice of collecting compromising material on prominent individuals for the purposes of blackmail. The dossier is packed with unverified allegations, including a claim that Russian officials obtained evidence of Mr. Trump with prostitutes and […]

Decision to brief Trump on allegations brought a secret and unsubstantiated dossier into the public domain

As the nation’s top spies prepared to brief President Obama and President-elect Donald Trump on Russian interference in the 2016 election, they faced an excruciatingly delicate question: Should they mention the salacious allegations that had been circulating in Washington for months that Moscow had compromising information on the incoming president? Ultimately, they concluded they had […]

Christopher Steele, Ex-British Intelligence Officer, said to have prepared dossier on Trump

A former British intelligence officer who is now a director of a private security-and-investigations firm has been identified as the author of the dossier of unverified allegations about President-elect Donald Trump’s activities and connections in Russia, people familiar with the matter say. Christopher Steele, a director of London-based Orbis Business Intelligence Ltd., prepared the dossier, […]

Controversy erupts over recent Russian plot allegations.

President-elect Donald Trump is caught in a news cycle frenzy due to unsubstantiated allegations put forward in a recently published ‘dossier’. New claims have emerged that Russia has a dossier of alleged compromising material. The Russians conduct espionage and attempt to cultivate people all over the globe, all the time. This tactic shouldn’t be a shock – […]

Spy agencies investigating claims Trump advisers worked with Russian agents

U.S. intelligence agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have spent months trying to substantiate explosive claims, compiled by a former Western intelligence official, that Russian government operatives engaged in an extensive conspiracy with advisers to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and employees of his company, people familiar with the matter said. The unverified allegations—including a claim […]