The former British spy who compiled a dossier of lurid claims against Donald Trump should be criminally investigated, two powerful Republican senators have demanded. 

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The congressmen argued that Christopher Steele had lied about his contacts with journalists regarding the dossier when interviewed by federal investigators. 

The demand came in a letter from the senators to the Justice Department – the first known criminal referral from Congress over the Russian election meddling scandal. 

It raises the possibility that Mr Steele, who lives in Britain, could be criminally charged, though any decision would be taken by the Justice Department itself. 

The two senators who made the request are Charles E. Grassley, chairman of the judiciary committee, and Lindsey Graham, who is also a member. 

It was unclear exactly what Mr Steele said that the senators judged to have been misleading.

A spokesman for Fusion GPS, a company which helped produce the dossier with Mr Steele, suggested the move was an attempt to “discredit government sources” during a criminal investigation. 

In a separate development, US media reported that Mr Trump tried to stop his attorney general from formally stepping away from the investigation into Russian election meddling. 

A spokesman for the Department of Justice declined to comment on the reports.