Britain's intelligence agencies were aware in 2016 of suspicious links between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia, but Theresa May's government – including then-foreign secretary Boris Johnson – chose not to pursue the matter for fear of offending the US president, according to a new book by the founders of Fusion GPS.
The book, 'Crime in Progress' by Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch, reveals that MI6 was already aware of the potential compromise of Trump by the Kremlin. Christopher Steele, the former MI6 officer who compiled the controversial dossier alleging Russian cultivation of Trump, briefed Sir Charles Farr, chairman of the joint intelligence committee, shortly after Trump's unexpected victory. Farr took the dossier 'extremely seriously' and briefed Andrew Parker, then head of MI5, and the wider cabinet.
In December 2016, Steele met Sir Richard Dearlove, former head of MI6, at the Garrick Club. Dearlove indicated he was already aware that the British government had suspicions about links between Russia and Trump campaign members, but a political decision had been made not to push the matter further. According to the book, this news irritated Steele, who questioned why the government would 'kick it into the long grass' if the incoming US president could be compromised by Moscow.
Boris Johnson, who was foreign secretary at the time and is now prime minister, has consistently deflected questions about Russian interference in British affairs, including refusing to publish a parliamentary report on the subject. The book also claims that Russia had a secret black budget of tens of millions of dollars earmarked for populist nationalist politicians opposed to the European Union, as part of a separate investigation codenamed Project Charlemagne.
