Page:Simpson-transcript-redacted.pdf/76

Glenn SimpsonPage 76 would implicate privileges and obligations that we've set forth with the committee potentially.

MS. SAWYER: Sure.

BY MS. SAWYER:

Q. At a news briefing on August 1, 2017 White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders described Fusion GPS as a democratic linked firm. Is that an accurate description?

A. I would not agree with that description. I was a journalist for most of my adult life and a professional at not taking sides, and I'm happy and proud to say I have lots of Republican clients and friends and I have lots of Democratic clients and friends. I've lived in this city for 30 years or so and I know a lot of people on both sides and we have a long proud history of not being partisan. And the same is true for my colleagues. We intentionally don't hire people who have strong partisan affiliations. We prefer journalists who don't see things through ideological prisms and ideological prisms are not helpful for doing research.

Q. So it has been widely reported that you engaged Christopher Steele to do part of the research, the opposition research on Candidate 1-800-FOR-DEPO