‘British spy behind Trump’s dirty dossier’ has long-term links to Moscow, spied on Boris Yeltsin… and the KGB once even stole his wife’s SHOES
THIS is the first picture of Christopher Steele – the former MI6 spy who reportedly penned Donald’s Trump’s ‘dirty dossier’.
The 52-year-old is pictured smiling wearing a bow tie during an event at Cambridge University.
Steele was formerly the president of the esteemed Cambridge Union before joining the Foreign Office in 1986.
He is currently in hiding after reportedly writing the widely discredited document which contained lurid claims against President-elect Trump.
Earlier it was reported that the former spook allegedly used to spy on Boris Yeltsin and once had his wife’s shoes stolen by the KGB.
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The Sun can reveal details about Christopher Steele’s life as spy working in Moscow in the early 1990s.
Described as having a ‘good reputation’ within the intelligence community, the ex-MI6 spy met his future wife Laura Hunt in April 1988 and after a whirlwind romance the pair were engaged the following Christmas.
The happy couple were married in July 1990, the same year Steele was stationed in the Russian capital to provide covert surveillance of the crumbling Soviet government.
In a message posted publicly online, Laura’s father confirmed the collapse of the Soviet Union put the pair’s relationship under strain because of “radical changes instigated” by then Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
Steele’s father-in-law revealed that the MI6 agent was ordered to monitor Yeltsin’s famous 1991 speech which was delivered on top of a tank – after a failed coup on his government.
The message also stated that Laura’s shoes were bizarrely stolen by Russian spooks.
Speaking about the pair’s time in Moscow, her father said: “The work was hard, the times were tough and there was constant harassment from the KGB.
“On one occasion they even stole Laura's favourite shoes – from their flat - just before an official dinner.”
He also revealed that Steele performed the ‘Cossack’ – a traditional Ukrainian dance – at the couple’s wedding.
Laura, who worked for British Airways during their time in Russia, sadly died aged 43 in 2010.
In another publicly posted online message, Steele praised his wife and touched upon the ‘magical ‘ time they spent together in Moscow.
He said: “Travelling by train between Moscow and (at that time) Leningrad were quite magical.
“That last one being essentially the occasion when we got to know each other properly as we painlessly extracted our respective life histories.”
After working at the Foreign Office in London, the Steele family moved to Paris where he worked at the British embassy from 1998 until 2002.
After leaving MI6, Steele supplied the FBI with information on corruption at Fifa which led to the resignation of its long-time president Sepp Blatter, reports Reuters.
Sources told The Times, Steele worked with former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko before he was murdered.
Steele is currently one of two directors of Orbis, according to UK company records along with Christopher Burrows, 58, the reports.
Orbis Business Intelligence’s website said it was formed in 2009 by former British intelligence professionals.
The former spook was reportedly hired by a US political research firm to investigate Trump on behalf of ‘unidentified Republicans’ who wanted to derail his White House bid.
He then allegedly wrote a 35-page report consisting of memos compiled before and after the November 8 election – which was later partly funded by Democrats as well as the anti-Trump Republicans.
A furious Trump let rip at his first press conference since his shock election victory, slamming the dossier as “fake”.
The former spook has now reportedly fled his £1.4million Surrey mansion 'fearing for his life' after giving his pet cat to his neighbour.
Steele worked at Britain’s embassy in Moscow alongside Sir Tim Barrow, who is now the ambassador to the EU, reports the .
Steele and Barrow both worked under veteran UK diplomat Sir Rodric Braithwaite while in the Russian capital, according to the Mail.
Spooks often take up diplomatic posts at embassies abroad as cover for their spy work.
According to the report, the pair also worked together in the Foreign Office in London in the mid-90s - where Barrow was the head of the ‘Russia Section’.
John Sipher, who retired in 2014 after 28 years in the CIA, said Steele had a “good reputation” in the intelligence world.
He is said to have specialised in Russia and counterintelligence.
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