As you will see below the NSA database was how political surveillance was being conducted during Obamas second term in office. However, when the system was flagged, and when NSA Director Mike Rogers shut down contractor access to the system, the system users needed to develop another way to get access.
Mike Rogers shuts down access on April 18, 2016. On April 19, 2016, Fusion-GPS founder Glenn Simpsons wife, Mary Jacoby visits the White House. Immediately thereafter, the DNC and Clinton campaign contract Fusion GPS who then hire Christopher Steele.
Knowing it was federal contractors, outside government with access to the system, doing the unauthorized searches, the question becomes: who were the contractors?
ping
Note either way I win if someone can prove when it started because I want document evidence.