WASHINGTON (AP) — An FBI agent faraway from particular counsel Robert Mueller’s group due to anti-Donald Trump textual content messages has been escorted out of the FBI constructing “as part of the ongoing internal proceedings,” his legal professional stated Tuesday.
Peter Strzok “remains a proud FBI agent” who desires to serve his nation however has been the “target of unfounded personal attacks, political games and inappropriate information leaks,” in accordance to a assertion from lawyer Aitan Goelman.
Goelman stated that “despite being put through a highly questionable process, Pete has complied with every FBI procedure, including being escorted from the building as part of the ongoing internal proceedings.”
Strzok, a seasoned counterintelligence agent, was a lead agent on the investigation into whether or not Hillary Clinton illegally mishandled labeled info by means of her use of a personal e-mail server whereas secretary of state. He later joined Mueller’s group investigating Russian election interference however was reassigned final summer season after the invention of anti-Trump textual content messages he had traded with an FBI lawyer. One of the texts, from August 2016, confirmed Strzok saying, “We’ll stop it,” in reference to a potential Trump election win.
A Justice Department inspector common report final week sharply criticized Strzok and the lawyer, Lisa Page, for creating an look of impropriety by means of their anti-Trump communications. But the report stated the investigation’s conclusions, together with that Clinton shouldn't be prosecuted, weren’t formed by political bias.