Gee, man!
FBI guy: Trump smear of kin led to testy texts
process. Instead, the text offers a window into his “personal opinions” in wake of several of the President's controversial public appearances. He seemed to specifically reference comments Trump made about the family of U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq in 2004.
His remarks were in response to Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), whose line of questioning sparked a fiery debate between lawmakers before Strzok had the opportunity to answer a single question.
When asked how many people he questioned in the early days of the Russia probe, Strzok declined to respond.
“As you know the counsel of the FBI have directed me not to answer any questions about ongoing investigations,” Strzok responded, which sparked bickering between Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and House Judiciary Committee chair Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).
Goodlatte, raising his voice over grumbles and shouts The FBI's Peter Strzok said anti-Trump text messages he sent to his lover, an FBI colleague, were sparked by the then-candidate's behavior, including his “disgusting” insult aimed at the family of a fallen U.S. soldier.
The special agent on Thursday addressed the inflammatory messages for the first time in his testimony before a heated joint session of the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees Thursday.
The digital exchange with former FBI lawyer Lisa Page has made him a focus of Republicans and conservatives critical of the Russia collusion probe. They've specifically honed in on one text from the FBI employee, saying “we'll stop” the election of President Trump.
But Strzok emphasized the late-night message “in no way suggested that I or the FBI would take any action” to intervene in the democratic from fellow lawmakers, repeatedly told Strzok he did not provide “good legal reason not to answer” the query.
He at one point even threatened the agent with a contempt citation while Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (DN.J.) accused her colleagues across the aisle of engaging in harassment.
The grilling at times got personal, with Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) taking aim at the married Strzok for his relationship with Page.
“I can't help but wonder, when I see you looking there with a little smirk, how many times did you look so innocent into your wife's eyes and lie to her about Lisa Page?” asked Gohmert, who campaigned last year for alleged child molester Roy Moore.
That led to cries of “have you no shame?” from some Democrats, and one to ask if Gohmert was off his medi- cation.
Trump and his allies have long raged about the series of texts, claiming that it proves special counsel Robert Mueller's probe is rooted in bias and ultimately compromised — claims Strzok has continued to reject.
“The investigation is not politically motivated, it is not a witch hunt, it is not a hoax,” he said.
Strzok added that while his criticisms of Trump have been “blunt,” there has been “simply no evidence of bias in my professional actions.”
“Let me be clear, unequivocally and under oath — not once in my 26 years of defending my nation did my personal opinions impact any official action I took,” he said, going on to dub the hearing “another victory notch in Putin's belt.”