What will I learn about: how a routine piece of opposition research funded by a conservative publication snowballed into one of the biggest political scandals in modern history?

Discover how a routine piece of opposition research funded by a conservative publication snowballed into one of the biggest political scandals in modern history.

What will I learn about: why Trump's long history of failed real estate developments, lawsuits, and suspicious financial ties to convicted felons raised massive red flags for private investigators?

Understand why Trump's long history of failed real estate developments, lawsuits, and suspicious financial ties to convicted felons raised massive red flags for private investigators.

What will I learn about: Learn how the investigation shifted to the Democratic Party, leading to the recruitment of former British spy Christopher Steele to uncover overseas intelligence?

Learn how the investigation shifted to the Democratic Party, leading to the recruitment of former British spy Christopher Steele to uncover overseas intelligence.

What will I learn about: the shocking claims inside the 'Steele Dossier,' which alleged that the Russian government possessed compromising blackmail material, known as kompromat, on the future president?

Find out the shocking claims inside the 'Steele Dossier,' which alleged that the Russian government possessed compromising blackmail material, known as kompromat, on the future president.

What will I learn about: Explore the startling geopolitical implications behind the intelligence report, which suggested Putin intentionally cultivated Trump for years to deliberately weaken Western alliances?

Explore the startling geopolitical implications behind the intelligence report, which suggested Putin intentionally cultivated Trump for years to deliberately weaken Western alliances.

Crime in Progress

Inside the Steele Dossier and the Fusion GPS Investigation of Donald Trump

Glenn Simpson, Peter Fritsch

★ 3.7 / 5(27 ratings)

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Politics

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡How did a routine opposition research project funded by a Republican billionaire evolve into one of the most explosive national security investigations in modern US history?
💡Why did the media initially struggle to verify and publish the shocking claims of the Steele Dossier prior to the 2016 election, while other controversies dominated the headlines?
💡Despite the narrow scope of the Mueller report, how did its findings ultimately validate the core warnings of the Fusion GPS investigation regarding foreign election interference?

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Key Takeaways from Crime in Progress

✓Discover how a routine piece of opposition research funded by a conservative publication snowballed into one of the biggest political scandals in modern history.
✓Understand why Trump's long history of failed real estate developments, lawsuits, and suspicious financial ties to convicted felons raised massive red flags for private investigators.
✓Learn how the investigation shifted to the Democratic Party, leading to the recruitment of former British spy Christopher Steele to uncover overseas intelligence.
✓Find out the shocking claims inside the 'Steele Dossier,' which alleged that the Russian government possessed compromising blackmail material, known as kompromat, on the future president.
✓Explore the startling geopolitical implications behind the intelligence report, which suggested Putin intentionally cultivated Trump for years to deliberately weaken Western alliances.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Crime in Progress

Mind Map

Crime in Progress

Origins of the Investigation+

The Steele Dossier+

The 2016 Election & Media Battle+

The Dossier Goes Public+

Deepening the Investigations+

Retaliation and Legal Troubles+

The Mueller Report and Legacy+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 10

Who was Fusion GPS's initial client that funded the opposition research into Donald Trump?

A. The Democratic National Committee
B. The Washington Free Beacon
C. Perkins Coie
D. The FBI

Question 2 of 10

What suspicious business pattern did Fusion GPS uncover early in their investigation of Donald Trump's real estate projects?

A. He exclusively built commercial properties using shell companies.
B. He would announce a big development, accumulate investments, and when it failed, claim he was only a licensor.
C. He refused to accept foreign investment for any of his hotel projects.
D. He consistently paid his contractors above market rate to ensure absolute loyalty.

Question 3 of 10

Why did Christopher Steele feel compelled to share his initial intelligence findings with the FBI?

A. The Democrats refused to pay him for the dossier.
B. He was legally required to as a former British spy.
C. He believed the intelligence regarding Russian leverage over Trump was a grave national security threat.
D. He wanted to actively sabotage the Republican primary debates.

Question 4 of 10

How did Trump publicly react to the missing emails from Hillary Clinton's private server during the 2016 campaign?

A. He asked the FBI to drop the investigation in the name of political unity.
B. He explicitly invited Russia to track down the 30,000 missing emails.
C. He claimed the missing emails were a hoax invented by the Democratic Party.
D. He offered a million-dollar reward to American intelligence to find them.

Question 5 of 10

What event effectively took the media's focus away from the release of the 'Access Hollywood' tape on October 7, 2016?

A. James Comey's letter reopening the Clinton email investigation.
B. The publication of the Steele Dossier by BuzzFeed.
C. A New York Times story claiming no clear link between Trump and Russia.
D. The release of John Podesta's emails by WikiLeaks.

Question 6 of 10

How did the contents of the Steele Dossier finally reach the general public in January 2017?

A. Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch published them in a tell-all book.
B. Senator John McCain read the dossier aloud on the Senate floor.
C. BuzzFeed reporter Ken Bensinger obtained photographs of the dossier and the website published them.
D. The FBI declassified the documents during a press conference.

Question 7 of 10

After Trump was elected and Fusion GPS lost its political funding, how did the firm manage to continue its investigation?

A. They set up The Democracy Integrity Project, funded by philanthropic donors like West Coast tech entrepreneurs.
B. They were directly hired and funded by the FBI.
C. They launched a public crowdfunding campaign that went viral.
D. Christopher Steele used his Orbis profits to personally finance their work.

Question 8 of 10

What remarkable coincidence made Fusion GPS look highly suspicious to Republican investigators Grassley and Nunes?

A. Fusion shared an office building with the Russian embassy in Washington.
B. Fusion had previously worked on an unrelated case with Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer at the Trump Tower meeting.
C. Glenn Simpson had invested in the Trump SoHo project years earlier.
D. Christopher Steele was spotted at a Trump rally in London.

Question 9 of 10

According to the authors, why didn't the Mueller report recommend criminal charges against President Trump?

A. Mueller uncovered absolute proof that Russia did not interfere in the election.
B. William Barr ordered Mueller to delete chapters detailing Trump's crimes.
C. Justice Department policy dictates that a sitting president cannot be criminally charged.
D. The Steele Dossier was proven to be entirely fabricated, nullifying the investigation.

Question 10 of 10

What was the ultimate status of the core claims made in the Steele dossier, according to the authors?

A. They were completely debunked by the Mueller report.
B. The core claims of a strong Russian effort to influence the election were well-established, though the 'kompromat' story was harder to verify.
C. Every single detail, including the 'kompromat' tape, was legally proven in a court of law.
D. The dossier was revealed to be a Russian disinformation campaign aimed at Hillary Clinton.

Crime in Progress — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — One of today’s biggest political stories started as a small opposition research report.
32 — Once Fusion began investigating Trump, they uncovered troubling material.
43 — Working for the Democrats, Fusion brought in former spy Christopher Steele, who soon found shocking intelligence.
54 — Trump and Putin’s mutual admiration grew increasingly obvious, and the FBI began its work.
65 — Despite Fusion’s efforts, the Trump-Russia story failed to catch on in the media, unlike James Comey’s intervention.
76 — When the Trump-Russia story finally drew media attention, it came in a form no one wanted.
87 — In the Trump presidency’s early days, Fusion found a way to keep investigating, and so did the FBI.
98 — Fusion faced serious legal challenges as Trump’s supporters went on the defensive.
109 — As damning as Mueller’s report was, nothing seemed likely to stop a repeat of the alleged 2016 election interference.
1110 — Final summary

Crime in Progress Summary & Overview

Crime in Progress (2019) is the thrilling inside story of the intelligence agency that first started investigating the links between Donald Trump and Russia. Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch of Fusion GPS relate how they commissioned the infamous Steele Dossier, which alleged that the Russians had leverage over Trump, and the astonishing series of events to which this led.

Who Should Listen to Crime in Progress?

Fans of American politics
Readers who enjoy a political thriller
Anyone who’s been glued to the news for the past several years

About the Author: Glenn Simpson, Peter Fritsch

Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch are founders of the private investigative firm Fusion GPS. Previously, both worked for the Wall Street Journal. As a reporter, Simpson specialized in topics including campaign finance, money laundering, and fraud. Fritsch was a reporter and bureau chief who worked for the Journal in many countries around the world before becoming its national security editor.

Crime in Progress

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Crime in Progress — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Crime in Progress

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Crime in Progress — Full Chapter Overview

Crime in Progress Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Crime in Progress?

About the Author: Glenn Simpson, Peter Fritsch

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