John Podesta testimony House Intelligence Committee December 4, 2017, Hillary campaign and DNC paid for Steele Dossier

“MR. PODESTA: Well, there’s a little bit – what did I know? When did I know it? lt has subsequently – l’ve subsequently learned that the law firm which the campaign — was both the general counsel of the campaign, Mr. Elias, Mark Elias, and Perkins Coie, the law firm had contracted with Fusion during the course of the campaign, but I didn’t know that during the campaign.”

“The Fusion principals — I assume that was Mr. Simpson and Mr. Fritsch, although I don’t know that — approached Mr. Elias in April, I believe, of 2016 and told him that they had been working for essentially a Republican entity during the course of the Republican primaries, developing information on Mr. Trump. And they were seeking to continue that work and were seeking a contract from Perkins Coie, which had the authority to contract with outside vendors to do research on behalf of the campaign. And that relationship was entered into, I believe, in April of 2016 and extended till October 31st of 2016.”

“MR. PODESTA: I don’t have a transcript in front of me. I don’t know that that was the precise question. I think that I only learned subsequently that the payments were made through Perkins Coie, 50 percent from the campaign, 50 percent from the DNC. I didn’t know that at the time I was before the Senate.”

“But the payments to Fusion, as I understand from their statements at the end of October, were that those payments to their vendor were paid for 50 percent from the DNC and 50 percent from the campaign.

MR. CONAWAY: Okay. Fusion GPS was a 50-50 split?

MR. PODESTA: Yes.”

“But when Christopher Steele was identified, when precisely Fusion was identified as a company that was doing this, reporters were interested in this, they were reporting on it. I think, you know, it could have been late November, December, maybe even early January.

DR. WENSTRUP: So no knowledge of the arrangement to pay Fusion GPS for opposition research. ls that correct?

MR. PODESTA: Not during the campaign. I obviously have it now.”

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/IG/IG00/CPRT-116-IG00-D066.pdf

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