Former MI-6 spy who compiled Trump dossier flees home after his identity is revealed

[HAB911]

Steele has reportedly fled from his home after being terrified for his safety. The U.K.'s Telegraph newspaper reported Thursday that he left fearing a potentially dangerous backlash from Moscow after his name was released. A source close to Steele said he was "horrified" when his nationality was revealed and is now "terrified for his and his family's safety," according to the newspaper.

SNIP

After he left the spy service, Steele supplied the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with information on corruption at FIFA, international soccer's governing body.

It was his work on corruption in international soccer that lent credence to his reporting on Trump's entanglements in Russia, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

SNIP

Steele was initially hired by FusionGPS, a Washington, DC-based political research firm, to investigate Trump on behalf of unidentified Republicans who wanted to stop Trump's bid for the GOP nomination. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported that Steele was initially hired by Jeb Bush, one of Trump's 16 opponents in the 2016 Republican primary. It was not immediately possible to verify the BBC's report.

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/12/former-mi-6-spy-known-to-us-agencies-is-author-of-reports-on-trump-in-russia.html

[Cha]

1. I hope he stays safe.

[HoneyBadger]

2. I would think that Russia would hesitate before killing the family of an MI6 agent

His safety is not guaranteed, but that is the game and has been for a thousand years. Hopefully he releases all of his reports first. That would be a worthy legacy.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11952973/Spy-in-bag-Gareth-Williams-was-murdered-by-Russian-hitmen-after-sexual-photo-blackmail-plot.html

[Nitram]

3. His credibility is enhanced by the fact that it was Republican candidates who hired him.

I wonder if Clinton had the same intelligence but didn't use it because it couldn't be proved.

[FarCenter]

4. Recall what happened to a previous operative who exceeded his remit after working on a dossier

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kelly_(weapons_expert)

Her Majesty's Government does not like to be embarrassed.