EX-UK spy says Trump’s links to Russia had to be exposed
A FORMER British spy said he was “duty bound” to share an explosive dossier on Donald Trump’s links to Russia with British authorities because his US administration “might pose a serious risk to UK national security”.
Christopher Steele, a 22-year veteran of MI6, revealed in court that he approached a Government national security official just days after President Trump was elected because he was so concerned about what he had unearthed in a fact-finding mission on behalf of Hillary Clinton’s rival presidential campaign.
The 56-year-old was speaking out for the first time about his leaked dossier because he is being sued over claims that it makes about computer hacking by the Russian businessman, Aleksej Gubarev.
In a written statement, Mr Steele said: “The intelligence recorded in the pre-election memoranda had important potential national security implications for the UK, as well as the US.
He added: “Since the intelligence I had gathered had important implications for UK national security following Donald Trump’s election as president, I considered myself duty bound to provide it to the appropriate national security authorities in the UK.”
In dramatic testimony yesterday at the High Court in London, Mr Steele said that he was “shocked and horrified” that Buzzfeed website had published his secret memorandum in full and unredacted in “one of the most irresponsible journalistic acts ever.”
The hearing continues.