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Notes -
Except the problem here isn't just that they started the investigation - they helped create the circumstances which justified the investigation and knowingly lied in order to justify the surveillance which was performed. They knew that the contents of the Steele Dossier were unreliable, and they then went and leaked information to the media, in order to create media attention which was then used to back up the need for the investigation. That's the reason why there's so much outrage - not that they dared to investigate Trump at all, but that they did so under false pretences, knowingly, and then shared the information they gained with his political opponent in an important election.
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