Tipsheet

Why Rubio Is Dismissing Report About Dem Senator Attempting to Contact Dossier Author

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  February 09, 2018 7:30 AM

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) dismissed a Fox News report that Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) tried to contact Christopher Steele, the author of the controversial Russian dossier. 

The Florida senator said Warner had already “fully disclosed” his contacts and that they had “zero impact” on the Intelligence Committee’s work. 

“Sen.Warner fully disclosed this to the committee four months ago.Has had zero impact on our work,” he wrote, tweeting out a link to the story. 

The report noted that Warner had “extensive contact” with lobbyist Adam Waldman last year whose firm has ties to Hillary Clinton. Waldman, according to the report, was also a lobbyist for a Russian oligarch.

Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, was trying to get information as part of the panel’s investigation into whether Russia meddled in the 2016 election. 

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The Fox report emphasized that the text messages between the two seemed to show secrecy was of utmost importance to the senator, however. 

Throughout the text exchanges, Warner seemed particularly intent on connecting directly with Steele without anyone else on the Senate Intelligence Committee being in the loop -- at least initially. In one text to the lobbyist, Warner wrote that he would "rather not have a paper trail" of his messages. (Fox News)

President Trump touted the report on Twitter, writing, “Wow! -Senator Mark Warner got caught having extensive contact with a lobbyist for a Russian oligarch. Warner did not want a “paper trail” on a “private” meeting (in London) he requested with Steele of fraudulent Dossier fame. All tied into Crooked Hillary.”