determining whether it was credible. So that was a lot of the work that we did there.
I think you asked about paying of sources. I think that's something that's erroneous that's been in the press.
MR. ROONEY: How so?
MR. SIMPSON: To my knowledge, Chris does not pay sources for information.
MR. ROONEY: So they give it up for free?
MR. SIMPSON: When you're running a source network, essentially what you are doing is paying subcontractors to --
MR. ROONEY: Right.
MR. SIMPSON: -- circulate and gather information in conversations. And, again, this is not my specialty, which is why I hired him, but essentially it's hiring people to go talk to their contacts.
And I think as a member of the Intelligence Committee that maybe you're familiar with this, but they don't -- you know, when you have subcontractors in the field doing interviews, meeting people in bars, talking shop, they don't say, "I've been hired to go out and ask questions and see what people say," but that's essentially what happens.
So what I think the misconception is, is that, you know, Chris has got people -- or Chris calls people up and says, "I'll give you $5,000 if you tell me what's going on with the Trump operation." And that didn't happen.
MR. ROONEY: Are you sure?
MR. SIMPSON: Well, I've asked Chris about it, and he said it doesn't -- didn't happen.
UNCLASSIFIED, COMMITTEE SENSITIVE
