Money May Talk, But Dark Money Hides Its Secrets

Two of the nation’s top investigative journalists teamed up for a book talk that effectively untangled some of the mystery surrounding opposition research and the role of dark money in undermining democratic principles.

In a talk sponsored by the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon, Conn., award-winning investigative journalist Brian Ross engaged with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Barry Meier, both well-suited for this conversation. The program was offered on Zoom because of inclement weather on Thursday, June 3. 

Ross moderated the program, speaking with Meier about his new book, “Spooked: The Trump Dossier, Black Cube and the Rise of Private Spies.” The book shines light on a dark industry set on influencing the minds of the unsuspecting, shaping opinions, garnering votes. 

“Private spying” means that operatives can be hired. And hired they are by large corporations, political parties and powerful individuals to “dig up dirt” on their adversaries or competitors. The aim is to influence and dominate and win. The source of the money is deep in the shadows and not traceable.

According to Meier, there has been an explosion of private intelligence agencies whose operatives gather all sorts of intelligence data, including using the services of hackers to gain telephone or computer data. Often these agencies provide intelligence in cases of litigation to smear opposition witnesses or principals.

Ross asked about the Trump dossier from the 2016 election, the idea of planting plausible, shocking stories in the print and broadcast media.

“Political opposition research is as old as the hills,” Meier explained. Candidates for office would sling mud as a matter of course.

But during the lead-up to the 2016 campaign, the concept took a giant leap forward with Fusion GPS and the Republicans who contracted with them to oppose the early candidacy of Donald Trump.

Fusion founder Glenn Simpson, whose career is detailed in Meier’s book, offered research on the one hand and, because of his experience as a journalist, touted his ability to flow the opposition research directly into the media.

Ross asked why people are swayed by it, why they bite.  Meier replied that there had been evidence of Russian intent to interfere. Simpson invited reporters to meet operative Christopher Steele, a reputable-appearing former MI6 agent, a member of the British Intelligence Service. The press was clearly misled.

It was BuzzFeed who rushed to be the first to post Steele’s dossier on Trump. “It was now out there,” Meier said. The major news outlets were in a “footrace” to promote the dossier.

The media’s defense to the largely unsubstantiated material was, “Well, it hasn’t yet been disproven.”

“This is anathema to how we operate and should operate as journalists,” Meier said. In an era of extreme media polarization, Meier added, “many media fall prey.”

To Ross’ question about how good Steele’s information was, Meier said, “Very little was true. The more salacious items were proven to be untrue.” But it was the salacious things that gave the dossier life, Meier said.

“My motivation is not to elevate Donald Trump,” Meier explained to Ross. “My concern is for my/our profession.”

Meier said that Trump used the dossier as a cudgel against journalists, as he is capable of using anything as a politically purposeful weapon.

“The real firepower of the media was diverted by the Trump dossier sideshow,” Meier said.

Feeling that cable news is too politically charged to be a good source, Meier said that he reads three major newspapers daily: the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal.

“We have to choose where our information is coming from,” he advised.

Meier sees no basis for Fusion GPS to be protected by whistleblower status, a matter currently being pursued.

“There is a lot of stuff that goes on behind the curtains that no one ever knows about,” he added.