FBI Fires Peter Strzok, Agent Who Sent Anti-Trump Text Messages During Campaign; Trump Responds On Twitter
On Monday, the FBI fired agent Peter Strzok, who was removed from the special counsel’s Russia investigation last year after it was discovered he sent inflammatory text messages against President Donald Trump.
Strzok’s lawyer Aitan Goelman told CNN that FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich demanded Strozk’s dismissal on Friday.
“The decision to fire Special Agent Strzok is not only a departure from typical Bureau practice, but also contradicts (FBI) Director (Christopher) Wray’s testimony to Congress and his assurances that the FBI intended to follow its regular process in this and all personnel matters,” Goelman said in a statement, in which he reportedly said Strzok should have faced a demotion and suspension instead of being fired.
Strzok shared his attorney’s statement in a tweet in which he said: “It has been an honor to serve my country and work with the fine men and women of the FBI.” The agent also added a link to a GoFundMe account designed to help him with legal expenses and lost income.
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Deeply saddened by this decision. It has been an honor to serve my country and work with the fine men and women of the FBI. https://t.co/iET9SbeTrv pic.twitter.com/7VTswzjoxE
— Peter Strzok (@petestrzok) August 13, 2018
Strzok, 48, was one of the key FBI figures involved in the probe into Hillary Clinton‘s private email server during the 2016 election. The FBI ultimately decided not to prosecute the former first lady and secretary of state. The agent was also one of the many individuals tasked with overseeing the inquiry into Russian interference in the election, and his role in both investigations has led Trump and many other Republicans to accuse the bureau of being biased against the president.
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Last month, Strzok testified before Congress about text messages he exchanged with another FBI agent named Lisa Page — who was also his lover — before the 2016 election. When Page asked Strzok what the bureau or the country could do should Trump win the presidency, Strzok reportedly answered “we’ll stop it.” This was one of multiple anti-Trump texts Strzok sent. Strzok’s House hearing — which came just days before Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki, Finland, and before Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence agents for meddling in the 2016 election — ultimately devolved into an intense partisan skirmish.
Early Tuesday morning, Trump took to Twitter to lash out at Strzok, the FBI, Mueller and the Justice Department, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump has repeatedly slammed Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia probe in March 2017. The president called Strzok a fraud and again dismissed the Russia investigation as a “rigged witch hunt:”
Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch: “The Strzok firing is as much about the Mueller operation as anything else. There would be no Mueller Special Councel to investigate so called collusion but for the machinations of Strzok & his colleagues at the top levels of the FBI. We know this…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018
….guy was corrupt and had anti-Trump animus. Strzok and others at the FBI should be criminally investigated for the way the conducted this investigation. Instead, Mueller is pretending nothing went wrong. He used Strzok, he used the Clinton DNC Dossier…the whole thing….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018
Fired FBI Agent Peter Strzok is a fraud, as is the rigged investigation he started. There was no Collusion or Obstruction with Russia, and everybody, including the Democrats, know it. The only Collusion and Obstruction was by Crooked Hillary, the Democrats and the DNC!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018
Strzok started the illegal Rigged Witch Hunt – why isn’t this so-called “probe” ended immediately? Why aren’t these angry and conflicted Democrats instead looking at Crooked Hillary?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018
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