Fusion GPS: Grassley’s leaks putting employees in danger

Lawyers for the political research firm Fusion GPS on Monday attacked the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, writing in a letter that leaks from the committee were endangering the firm’s employees.

In a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that also targeted Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), lawyers for Fusion GPS sharply criticized the committee for releasing the names of Fusion GPS employees, stating that threats had been made against members of the firm.

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Grassley and Graham released six letters to Fusion GPS on the committee’s website last week, which contained the names of Fusion GPS employees despite the firm’s apparent request to have them redacted.

“Your office made public, on your official website, six letters requesting documents related to a number of individuals, including employees of our client Fusion GPS, even after we had requested — in writing — that the names of employees not be disclosed to the public because of well-founded concerns about their public safety,” the lawyers wrote.

“Ignoring our requests, your office knowingly put these people in danger, by releasing their names to the public,” the letter reads. “These leaks are unauthorized and unethical.”

The letter goes on to accuse Grassley and Republicans of releasing the names to “please” conservative editorial boards, ignoring safety concerns.

“Some of these employees are not yet 30 years old. Others have children. We also hope that nothing happens to these good people, simply because of your office’s labored efforts to defend this president or please the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal.”

Fusion GPS, with funds paid for in part by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee, produced an unverified dossier containing allegations about President Trump’s ties to Russia that has become a central focus in the ongoing investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

In a statement to The Hill, Grassley’s office rebuked Fusion GPS lawyers for referring to official releases from the committee as “leaks,” and noted that the committee did not identify any names in the letters as specifically linked to the firm.

“Official releases of information by the chairman of the Judiciary Committee about its work are, by definition, not leaks,” said Taylor Foy, Grassley’s spokesman.

“Sen. Grassley will not be deterred by lawyers attempting to create a diversion from their own stonewalling by filing frivolous and baseless complaints,” he added. 

“[Fusion GPS] should be spending their time complying with the document request that Senators Grassley and Feinstein made last year. Thus far, he has provided nothing but press clippings and blank pages.”

Updated at 12:24 p.m.