FBI[1] Agent Peter Strzok[2] admitted Thursday he doesn’t like President Trump[3] but insisted his personal political views, including text messages promising to “stop” Mr. Trump[4] or facilitate his impeachment, did not influence two of the country’s most important investigations.
In 10 hours of testimony to Congress[5], Mr. Strzok[6] also confirmed for the first time that the FBI[7] did accept documents from Justice Department[8] official Bruce Ohr during the 2016 campaign. Mr. Ohr’s wife worked at Fusion GPS, the firm that paid to compile the salacious and unverified anti-Trump[9] dossier.
Mr. Strzok[10] also confirmed to Congress[11] that his computer was used to change the language in the memo the FBI[12] used to exonerate Hillary Clinton of criminal wrongdoing in her emails — though he said that decision was made by lawyers.
But there were few other major revelations in hours of testimony most notably characterized by GOP[13] attacks on Mr. Strzok[14]’s integrity and Democrats leaping to defend him and the FBI[15].
Mr. Strzok[16] himself smirked through much of the proceedings, telling lawmakers the raucous hearing was “another victory notch” for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He did say he now regrets having sent tens of thousands of text messages, including supercharged anti-Trump[17] screeds, from his government-issued phone to his paramour, Lisa Page, at the time an FBI[18] lawyer.
SEE ALSO: Rep. Trey Gowdy to Peter Strzok: ‘I don’t give a damn what you appreciate’ [19]
But he characterized the messages as standard political opinions he was entitled to hold under the First Amendment, and insisted his promise to Ms. Page that they would find a way to “stop” Mr. Trump[20] didn’t mean he was biased in his approach to his job.
“At no time in any of these texts did those personal beliefs ever enter into the realm of any action I took,” Mr. Strzok[21] told lawmakers, saying the bureau didn’t bungle the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails nor the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Mr. Strzok[22] said in one key message where he said, “we’ll stop” Mr. Trump[23] from becoming president, he was referring to America’s voters....
Ms. Page, who resigned from the FBI[24] this spring, is slated to testify to Congress[25] behind closed doors Friday and Monday, after defying a subpoena to appear earlier this week.Their affair is now at the center of questions about the fairness of the FBI[26]’s actions during and after the 2016 election.The two exchanged text messages calling for