(continued from previous page)
In 2016, U.S.-based Fusion GPS used a former British spy to dig up dirt on then-nominee Donald Trump.

“If a campaign buys computers from a Japanese company, the Japanese company hasn’t made a contribution, even though it transferred the computers — something of value — to the campaign,” said Smith. “Similarly, nothing prohibits a U.S. group from hiring a British ex-spy to write up a dossier of opposition research on an opposing candidate.”

[lz_related_box id=”820084″]

Smith is referencing the use of Christopher Steele, the former spy, who created a dubious dossier of information on Trump — one that was used by at least one GOP campaign and then spread to the Democrats after Trump won the Republican presidential nomination.

Democrats and Trump critics never expressed concern that U.S. presidential campaigns used Steele’s services, or met with the Ukrainians. Yet this week the hot topic is whether Trump Jr. broke laws or “colluded” with the Russians to gain advantage over Clinton.

Smith wasn’t the only one debunking claims that Trump Jr. broke the law.

Alan Dershowitz, the respected Harvard University law professor, told Politico on Wednesday that “collusion” after the fact is not criminal. That is, even if Trump Jr. were seeking hacked information — unlikely, as few knew of alleged Russian hacking in early June 2016 — it would not be a crime.[lz_pagination]