After Mueller report: What ever happened to the ‘Steele dossier’?

A 2016 dossier of alleged intelligence about the Trump campaign and Russia is getting renewed attention, partly because it’s barely mentioned in the Mueller report. But with dueling partisan narratives, it’s worth looking at what that does and doesn’t mean.

Secret meetings between Trump campaign officials and Kremlin-linked figures. A covert Russian operation to elect Donald Trump. Russian attempts to sow discord in the United States and between the U.S. and its Western allies.

Mueller report details? Yes – but also bullet points from the notorious “Steele dossier,” a group of memos based on information from confidential Russian sources and composed in 2016 by former British intelligence official Christopher Steele.

The Steele dossier is getting renewed attention in Washington in the wake of last week’s release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Partly that’s because it’s barely mentioned in Mr. Mueller’s work. The special counsel didn’t confirm many of the dossier’s most sensational specific assertions.

Partly it’s because some of the dossier’s general points were echoed by Mr. Mueller, including its conclusion that figures connected to Mr. Trump met clandestinely with Russian government-linked officials during the presidential campaign.