Byron York: ‘Unusual Situation’ for a Media Outlet to Hire a Political Opposition Firm

PIRRO Welcome to this ░░░░░░░░ edition of Hannity I ░░░░░░░░ judge Jeanine Pirro in ░░░░░░░░ for Sean Major developments ░░░░░░░░ several Democrat scandals including ░░░░░░░░ controversial uranium one deal ░░░░░░░░ making news about the ░░░░░░░░ dossier in just a ░░░░░░░░ reporting that the conservative ░░░░░░░░ site the Washington Free ░░░░░░░░ funded the Fusion GPS ░░░░░░░░ into Donald Trump It ░░░░░░░░ also looking into the ░░░░░░░░ presidential candidates The Washington ░░░░░░░░ Beacon is responding to ░░░░░░░░ explosive information adding The ░░░░░░░░ Beacon had no knowledge ░░░░░░░░ or connection to the ░░░░░░░░ dossier Did not pay ░░░░░░░░ the dossier and never ░░░░░░░░ contact with knowledge of ░░░░░░░░ provide payments for any ░░░░░░░░ performed by Christopher Steele ░░░░░░░░ did we have any ░░░░░░░░ of the relationship between ░░░░░░░░ GPS and the Democratic ░░░░░░░░ Committee Joining us now ░░░░░░░░ Examiner Byron York Good ░░░░░░░░ Byron You ve got ░░░░░░░░ talking about what this ░░░░░░░░ GPS situation is You ░░░░░░░░ got the whole thing ░░░░░░░░ on a tip Now ░░░░░░░░ original funding for Fusion ░░░░░░░░ we thought it began ░░░░░░░░ the Clinton campaign and ░░░░░░░░ DNC We thought it ░░░░░░░░ funded by the Washington ░░░░░░░░ beacon which is a ░░░░░░░░ publication Tell us what ░░░░░░░░ know YORK It is ░░░░░░░░ This week we found ░░░░░░░░ the whole Russia part ░░░░░░░░ the Trump dossier alleging ░░░░░░░░ with Russians was funded ░░░░░░░░ the Hillary Clinton campaign ░░░░░░░░ the Democratic National Committee ░░░░░░░░ had always known that ░░░░░░░░ than that several months ░░░░░░░░ starting in late 2015 ░░░░░░░░ Republican group had funded ░░░░░░░░ research Into Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ some other candidates Now ░░░░░░░░ I reported who it ░░░░░░░░ It was the Washington ░░░░░░░░ Beacon A conservative web ░░░░░░░░ with attitude At the ░░░░░░░░ site that mixes journalism ░░░░░░░░ activism and some of ░░░░░░░░ some of its top ░░░░░░░░ they are the ones ░░░░░░░░ the original effort PIRRO ░░░░░░░░ are now saying who ░░░░░░░░ the Washington free beacon ░░░░░░░░ owns the free beacon ░░░░░░░░ understand at one point ░░░░░░░░ was actually a nonprofit ░░░░░░░░ It was It started ░░░░░░░░ 2012 as a 50134 ░░░░░░░░ of its board members ░░░░░░░░ Bill Kristol The former ░░░░░░░░ of the weekly standard ░░░░░░░░ prominent never Trump voice ░░░░░░░░ our debate today And ░░░░░░░░ it becomes a private ░░░░░░░░ We do know that ░░░░░░░░ New York hedge fund ░░░░░░░░ who has contributed to ░░░░░░░░ conservative causes is a ░░░░░░░░ funder of the Washington ░░░░░░░░ beacon today PIRRO Paul ░░░░░░░░ was someone that was ░░░░░░░░ as well YORK Very ░░░░░░░░ so Certainly in the ░░░░░░░░ Trump camp Later endorsed ░░░░░░░░ Rubio And actually wanted ░░░░░░░░ somehow stop Trump at ░░░░░░░░ convention There is a ░░░░░░░░ ditch effort Mr Singer ░░░░░░░░ very anti Trump at ░░░░░░░░ time PIRRO Do we ░░░░░░░░ who else did they ░░░░░░░░ this opposition research on ░░░░░░░░ understand it was not ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump YORK That ░░░░░░░░ a good question in ░░░░░░░░ answer is I do ░░░░░░░░ know They did say ░░░░░░░░ when the free beacon ░░░░░░░░ my report they published ░░░░░░░░ acknowledgment They said in ░░░░░░░░ fall of 2015 Donald ░░░░░░░░ was the leading candidate ░░░░░░░░ you remember back then ░░░░░░░░ the fall of 2015 ░░░░░░░░ started this opposition research ░░░░░░░░ with Fusion GPS looking ░░░░░░░░ the multiple Republican candidates ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump Unclear who ░░░░░░░░ other ones are PIRRO ░░░░░░░░ forward the Washington Free ░░░░░░░░ has said we basically ░░░░░░░░ not do any of ░░░░░░░░ stuff based upon a ░░░░░░░░ by individuals Are they ░░░░░░░░ who the individuals are ░░░░░░░░ Look a lot of ░░░░░░░░ there had been gossip ░░░░░░░░ this was a pulsing ░░░░░░░░ operation People have said ░░░░░░░░ was the one behind ░░░░░░░░ of this But the ░░░░░░░░ Beacon is saying is ░░░░░░░░ Singer is a major ░░░░░░░░ but the Free Beacon ░░░░░░░░ in the past used ░░░░░░░░ retained opposition research If ░░░░░░░░ was something like that ░░░░░░░░ ve got to say ░░░░░░░░ is not standard journalistic ░░░░░░░░ You go to places ░░░░░░░░ the Washington Examiner or ░░░░░░░░ Washington Post or any ░░░░░░░░ organization and they do ░░░░░░░░ go around hiring political ░░░░░░░░ research firms This is ░░░░░░░░ unusual situation PIRRO Clearly ░░░░░░░░ there is investigative reporters ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t subcontract someone ░░░░░░░░ stay with us.”