Record of the Press · 2012–Present
Released to the public · 31 OCT 2026File TBL-0019
UNPROVEN

The Steele Dossier Goes Public

10 JAN 2017 · BuzzFeed News, Mother Jones
Screenshot of the page as published at buzzfeednews.com
EXHIBIT A — Page capture from buzzfeednews.com. Click to open the source.

■ The claim

Mother Jones reported in October 2016 that a veteran Western spy had given the FBI memos alleging a years-long Russian operation to cultivate and compromise Donald Trump. In January 2017 BuzzFeed published the full 35-page dossier, noting it was unverified, and its allegations drove years of coverage.

■ What actually happened

The Justice Department Inspector General found that Steele's Primary Sub-source told the FBI in January 2017 that much of the material was word of mouth, hearsay, or remarks made in jest, and that the FBI had not corroborated the core allegations. Special Counsel Durham's 2023 report states the FBI was not able to corroborate a single substantive allegation in the Steele reports despite long efforts. Some specific claims, such as Michael Cohen meeting Kremlin representatives in Prague, were found to have no supporting evidence. BuzzFeed did flag the material as unverified, and a Florida judge ruled its publication protected by the fair-report privilege, so it was not retracted.

■ The proof

DOJ OIG report on Crossfire Hurricane (Dec. 9, 2019) on the Primary Sub-source interview; Durham report (May 2023), printed p. 98: FBI could not corroborate any substantive allegation.

■ Original reporting

■ Corrections, findings & records

■ Wayback Machine copies

Stories sometimes get edited after publication. These links open the Internet Archive's earliest snapshot of each original.

Who it helped: DemocratsOpposition research paid for by the Clinton campaign and DNC.

■ Grade

UNPROVEN: Reported as established fact but never corroborated. Not proven false, either. How we grade →