research, as the president called it, a thing of value? >> well, we could make an argument that it is. most foreign interference or foreign campaign donations have to do with money. so most of the case law has to do with the application of money. but we have to remember that the russian interference activity in 2016 was an intelligence operation, and so to assume that future activities would be intelligence operations by russia or any other hostile nation means that they're going to try to get around the law. so it's wonderful that the commissioner issued this statement, because she is putting the u.s. candidates and campaigns on notice that they are at risk of becoming under investigation. but that doesn't dissuade, that's not going to dissuade foreign countries from trying to do this activity, especially now if they know that at least one candidate is open to their assistance. >> jim, a lot of republicans today were drawing a parallel between this and the steele dossier, which was paid for in