FBI was trying to "flip" oligarchs around Putin, notably Oleg Deripaska. It failed. Key question: was Christopher Steele, an intermediary, intentionally representing Deripaska's interests to the Americans? Securing visas, trying to clear OD's name, etc. nytimes.com/2018/09/01/us/…
The @NYTimes story is effectively the DoJ/FBI response to the revelations of how closely DoJ's Bruce Ohr was working with Christopher Steele as he compiled opposition research for Mrs. Clinton ("The Dossier"), which was then used at the FISC. This has happened frequently. 
The possibility that this @NYTimes story on the FBI trying to turn Putinist oligarchs is misinformation to cover missteps with Steele in 2016 is almost more comforting. Because the plan as described seems designed to allow Russian spies to play games with the U.S. Intel system.
