

But the real-world implications of its claims, even though unproven, exacerbated an already fraught moment in American history. The salacious mix of sex, spies, and scandal made for an irresistible political drama. The dossier's contents, laid out in 17 memos, upended Washington and quickly ricocheted across the globe after BuzzFeed News published the bombshell reports in early 2017 - 10 days before Donald Trump was sworn into office. "Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier" is available Monday, October 18, on Hulu. "I stand by the work we did, the sources that we had, and the professionalism which we applied to it," Steele said in a wide-ranging exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos about how he gathered his intelligence, and the life-altering events that ensued after his work and identity were made public. WASHINGTON - Retired British spy Christopher Steele is stepping out of the shadows to discuss his so-called "Steele dossier" for the first time publicly, describing his efforts as apolitical and defending his decision to include the most explosive and criticized claims about Donald Trump contained in his controversial 2016 report.

Christopher Steele, the man behind the controversial Trump Russia "Steele Dossier," publicly defended claims made in the document.
