The knives are out for the FBI on Capitol Hill.

Conservative lawmakers from four separate committees are raising alarm bells about a tranche of missing text messages between two FBI agents assigned to the investigation into Russia and President Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE’s campaign, saying it calls into “further question the credibility and objectivity of certain officials at the FBI.”

Meanwhile, House Intelligence Committee lawmakers are refusing to allow the FBI to view a classified four-page memo that GOP members say shows abuse by the bureau of government surveillance powers.

“Well, yeah, they’re the ones that had the problem,” Rep. Mike Conaway Kenneth (Mike) Michael ConawayLive coverage: Democrats, Republicans seek to win PR battle in final House impeachment hearing Laughter erupts at hearing after Democrat fires back: Trump 'has 5 Pinocchios on a daily basis' Live coverage: Schiff closes with speech highlighting claims of Trump's corruption MORE (R-Texas) said Tuesday, when asked why the bureau’s request to see the document is being denied.

In another sign of tension, Axios reported Monday night that FBI Director Christopher Wray threatened to resign over pressure from the White House to dismiss Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, a longtime GOP target.

It all comes amid signs that special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE is moving closer to interviewing Trump as he continues his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, including possible collusion with members of Trump’s campaign.

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Democrats have painted investigations of the FBI’s conduct by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Intelligence, Oversight and Government Reform, and Judiciary committees as transparent efforts to discredit Mueller’s probe.

The fighting has strained the relationship between the bureau and Capitol Hill Republicans for months, culminating in a rare public statement from the FBI confirming they had requested, and been denied access to, the memo. Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy Harold (Trey) Watson GowdySunday shows preview: Election integrity dominates as Nov. 3 nears Tim Scott invokes Breonna Taylor, George Floyd in Trump convention speech Sunday shows preview: Republicans gear up for national convention, USPS debate continues in Washington MORE (R-S.C.) on Tuesday called the relationship “rocky,” saying “2016 and 2017 haven’t been good years for [the Justice Department] and FBI.”

“To say we want to see your memo when for months and months they haven’t let us see lots of stuff we wanted to see — the memo came from what you gave us, FBI,” Gowdy told Fox News. “There is nothing new in there other than what you gave us and you showed us.”

The Intelligence panel is wrangling over publicly releasing the memo, which would require a committee vote. Lawmakers of both parties have described it as a set of conclusions based on Republican research into FBI misconduct, with Democrats condemning it as misleading allegations and committee Chairman Devin Nunes Devin Gerald NunesSunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election Sunday shows preview: With less than two months to go, race for the White House heats up Sunday shows preview: Republicans gear up for national convention, USPS debate continues in Washington MORE (R-Calif.) characterizing it as “facts.”

There are also signs the GOP is not united on the subject of the FBI, an organization that historically has not been seen as an enemy of the Republican Party.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrRep. Mark Walker says he's been contacted about Liberty University vacancy Overnight Defense: Trump rejects major cut to military health care | Senate report says Trump campaign's Russia contacts posed 'grave' threat Senate report describes closer ties between 2016 Trump campaign, Russia MORE (R-N.C.), whose panel is also investigating Russia’s election interference, told CNN Tuesday that the FBI had been cooperative in providing documents to Congress.

“I’m not going to read anything into it other than it may be a technical glitch at the bureau,” he said of the missing texts. “The fact that they have provided the rest of them certainly doesn’t show an intent to try to withhold anything.”

Democrats have been more direct in their criticism. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called the allegations in the memo “a conspiracy theory concocted by Chairman Nunes” after reviewing the underlying materials.

One important question is whether Republicans will be able to release any of the intelligence used to craft the memo. A working group, including Gowdy, Nunes and House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte Robert (Bob) William GoodlatteNo documents? Hoping for legalization? Be wary of Joe Biden Press: Trump's final presidential pardon: himself USCIS chief Cuccinelli blames Paul Ryan for immigration inaction MORE (R-Va.), met over the weekend to discuss the possibility. Nunes has “a plan,” according to Conaway, but no further details have been made public.

In a conversation with The Hill on Monday, Nunes said claims that the memo was unpersuasive without the underlying evidence were an example of Democratic obstruction.

The five months of missing messages between senior counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page has thrown gasoline on the fire. The messages begin again on May 17, the day that Mueller was appointed.

It “is harder and harder for us to explain one strange coincidence after another,” Rep. John Ratcliffe John Lee RatcliffeOvernight Defense: Top admiral says 'no condition' where US should conduct nuclear test 'at this time' | Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings FBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump contradicts CDC director on vaccine, masks MORE (R-Texas) told Fox News on Tuesday.

Gowdy, Ratcliffe and Sen. Ron Johnson Ronald (Ron) Harold JohnsonThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - White House moves closer to Pelosi on virus relief bill Second GOP senator to quarantine after exposure to coronavirus GOP-led panel to hear from former official who said Burisma was not a factor in US policy MORE (R-Wis.) have revealed selective excerpts from the texts the bureau did turn over on Friday, arguing that they display “stunning” bias against Trump.

Page and Strzok were having an extramarital affair and frequently discussed the news of the day over texts, according to previously released messages. In those missives, they often criticized then-candidate Trump as unfit for office, with Page at one point writing “this man cannot be president.” The two also criticized the Obama administration, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonJeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Momentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Warning signs flash for Lindsey Graham in South Carolina MORE’s team and other Democrats.

The messages were uncovered during the course of an inspector general investigation into the bureau’s handling of the investigation into Clinton’s email practices while secretary of State. Page had already left the team at that point, and Mueller removed Strzok when he was made aware of the texts.

The latest set of messages has not yet been viewed by reporters in full. In one excerpt published by Johnson on Tuesday, Strzok and Page discuss becoming a part of Mueller’s team, weighing both their own relationship and the likely outcome of that investigation.

“You and I both know the odds are nothing. If I thought it was likely, I’d be there no question. I hesitate in part because of my gut sense and concerned there’s no big there there,” Strzok wrote to Page.

Johnson provided his own interpretation of that text, telling a radio show in Milwaukee, “In other words, Peter Strzok was the FBI deputy assistant director of the counterintelligence division, and the man had a plan to do something, because he just couldn’t abide Donald Trump being president.”

Trump, who has repeatedly characterized the Mueller probe as a “witch hunt,” tweeted Tuesday that the news of the lost text messages was “one of the biggest stories in a long time.”

Even some former FBI officials concede that the texts between the two officials are damning. Ron Hosko, a former assistant director at the bureau, told The Hill they showed “misconduct [that] has to be addressed.”

But he was far more dubious of the Republican narrative on the memo.

“There are voices painting this picture of a conspiracy because more than anything they believe it’s getting them traction to push the Mueller investigation off the rails,” he said.

“It is better for them not to have it out there because right now it’s a bogeyman — people can assume that the worst is in the memo. It’s their best strategy today to get traction on it, while damage is being done to the FBI.”

Gowdy on Tuesday insisted that he “supports” Mueller and “has no interest” in interfering with the investigation.

He has repeatedly said that it “breaks his heart” to report “bad apples” at the FBI.



Jonathan Easley contributed.