FBI agent fired over anti-Trump texts sues for reinstatement

Washington — The FBI agent whose anti-Trump text messages got him removed from the investigation into Russia’s election interference and ultimately fired from the bureau asked in a lawsuit Tuesday to be reinstated and awarded back pay, arguing he was unfairly terminated for criticizing the president.

Peter Strzok asserted in the suit that the Trump administration had “consistently tolerated and even encouraged partisan political speech by federal employees” — but only if that speech praised the president and attacked his opponents. The former FBI agent, whom President Donald Trump has attacked repeatedly, alleged that his removal was “part of a broader campaign against the very principle of free speech,” which he said was “initiated and led by” the commander-in-chief.

“It’s indisputable that his termination was a result of Trump’s unrelenting retaliatory campaign of false information, attacks and direct appeals to top officials,” Aitan Goelman, Strzok’s lawyer, said in a statement. “Today, Pete Strzok is fighting back, and sending a message that the Administration’s purposeful disregard for constitutional rights must not be tolerated.”

Strzok, who joined the FBI in 1996 as an analyst on terrorism cases, was once one of the bureau’s go-to agents for espionage and counterintelligence work, and he was a key figure in both the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state and the inquiry into whether the Trump campaign had coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election.