The FBI made a deal in October to pay Christopher Steele, the former British spy who had compiled a dossier on Donald Trump's alleged ties with Russia, to continue his work, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation.
NBC News reported that the FBI took the allegations seriously; Trump has denied them, calling the allegations "fake news." However, the FBI didn't end up paying Steele, as the former spy pulled out from the deal, the source added.
The Washington Post first reported the arrangement, which suggests that the FBI found Steele credible and continued to pursue the claims in the dossier, despite it being a collection of unverified claims accusing the Trump campaign of conspiring with Russia to interfere with the election.
A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment.
