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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 26 OcTOber 2017

Trump says Clinton team funding for Russia info “a disgrace’

ultimately ended up in the what they’ve done with
dossier. this fake dossier,” Trump
The document, compiled said Wednesday, adding
by a former British spy and without elaboration that
alleging a compromised “they paid a tremendous
relationship between amount of money.” He
Trump and the Kremlin, contended that Demo-
has emerged this year as crats had initially denied
a political flashpoint. Law any connection to the
enforcement officials have document, but now, “they
worked to corroborate its admitted it, and they’re
claims. James Comey, FBI embarrassed by it.”
director at the time, ad- A person familiar with the
vised Trump about the newly disclosed dossier
existence of the allega- matter, speaking on condi-
tions, and the ex-spy who tion of anonymity to discuss
helped assemble the doc- confidential client matters,
ument, Christopher Steele, told The Associated Press
has been questioned as on Tuesday that the fund-
part of an ongoing probe ing arrangement was bro-
of possible coordination kered in the spring of 2016
between Russia and the by a law firm representing
Trump camp, the Clinton campaign and
Trump has derided the the DNC and that it lasted
In this March 21, 2016 photo, attorney Marc Elias stands on the plaza of the Supreme Court in document as “phony stuff” until right before Election
Washington. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee and “fake news” and por- Day.
helped fund a political research firm that produced a dossier of allegations about President trayed himself Wednesday In March of that year, the
Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. That’s according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke as an aggrieved party, person said, the law firm
on Oct. 24, 2017, to The Associated Press. The person says the arrangement, first reported by The posting on Twitter a quote of Perkins Coie was ap-
Washington Post, was coordinated by a lawyer for the campaign and the DNC and his law firm.
That lawyer, Marc Elias, did not immediately return an email seeking comment. he said was from Fox News proached by Fusion GPS,
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) that referred to him as “the a political research firm
victim.” The new disclosure behind the dossier that
By ERIC TUCKER allegations about his ties to tics in this country,” Trump about the dossier’s origins had already been doing
Associated Press Russia, saying Wednesday said in addressing reporters is likely to fuel complaints research work for Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- that it was a “disgrace” that one day after news reports by Trump and his support- on behalf of an unidenti-
dent Donald Trump and Democrats had helped revealed that the Clinton ers that the document is fied client during the GOP
fellow Republicans latched pay for research that pro- campaign and the Demo- merely a collection of sala- primary.
onto revelations tying Hill- duced the document. cratic National Committee, cious and uncorroborated Fusion GPS expressed in-
ary Clinton’s presidential “It’s just really — it’s a very for several months last year, claims. terest in continuing to cre-
campaign to a dossier of sad commentary on poli- helped fund research that “Well, I think it’s very sad ate opposition research on
Trump, and Perkins Coie
GOP at odds over using 401(k)s to pay for tax cuts then engaged it in April
2016 “to perform a variety
of research services during
By MARCY GORDON used by 55 million U.S. work- the waters, when asked steep tax cuts for corpora- the 2016 election cycle,”
AP Business Writer ers who hold some $5 trillion about Brady’s statements tions and promised reduc- according to a letter ob-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- in their 401(k) accounts, a hours earlier. “Maybe it is, tions for middle-income tained by AP.
dent Donald Trump and Re- system that has become and maybe we’ll use that taxpayers, a doubling of It’s unclear what Fusion
publicans were at odds on a touchstone of retire- as negotiating,” Trump the standard deduction GPS had dug up by the
Wednesday over chang- ment security for the mid- said during an impromptu used by most Americans, time the law firm hired it,
ing the 401(k) retirement dle class. Earlier this week, news conference as he left shrinking the number of or how much money was
program to help finance Trump promised the pro- the White House for a trip tax brackets from seven to involved in the transaction.
tax cuts, with the president gram would be left alone, to Texas. “But trust me ... three or four, and the re- The attorney who helped
insisting the middle-class and appeared to bolster there are certain elements peal of inheritance taxes create the arrangement,
favorite will remain un- that pledge Wednesday, of deals you don’t want on multimillion-dollar es- Marc Elias, did not immedi-
touched and lawmakers saying he moved swiftly to to negotiate with ... and tates. The child tax credit ately return an email seek-
open to revisions. end speculation that the Kevin knows it, and I think would be increased and ing comment, and repre-
Rep. Kevin Brady, the chair- tax-deferred program may Kevin Brady is fantastic, but the tax system would be sentatives of Fusion GPS
man of the House’s tax-writ- be changed because it’s he knows how important simplified. Crucial details declined to comment. The
ing panel, wouldn’t rule out vital for working Americans. 401(k)s are.” The nearly $6 of the plan have yet to be Washington Post first re-
changes to the program But he went on to muddy trillion GOP plan calls for worked out.q ported the funding deal. q