WASHINGTON -- Rep. Trey Gowdy, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and another lawmaker were called out by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman during a contentious hearing Thursday as the panel looked at Justice Department actions during the 2016 election.

As the hearing with FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok grew chaotic, Watson said to Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas: "Do you need your medication?"

The hearing was conducted jointly with the House Judiciary Committee and examined actions during the campaign. The FBI publicly revealed details of its probe into Clinton's private email server but kept secret its investigation into whether the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia.

"This is intolerable harassment of a witness!"



In a chaotic moment at House Judiciary hearing, Rep. Louie Gohmert asks FBI Agent Peter Strzok how many times he lied to his wife. The question drew cries of outrage from Democratic members. https://t.co/M3YsVmNmn5 pic.twitter.com/f0nEkO5ewO — ABC News (@ABC) July 12, 2018

Gohmert, who defended Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore against sexual harassment charges last year by saying it was "grossly unfair" to bring up allegations three decades old, called Strzok a liar and browbeated him for his extramarital affair.

"How many times did you look so innocent into your wife's eyes and lie to her?" Gohmert said.

That led to howls of outrage from Democrats, including Watson Coleman's comment. And Gohmert then objected to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., allowing Strzok to respond.

Earlier, Watson Coleman responded to Gowdy, R-S.C., after he berated Strzok for mentioning impeachment while the investigation now led by special counsel Robert Mueller was going on.

Strzok said he raised it as one possible outcome, depending on what the investigation turned up.

At that point, Watson Coleman, D-12th Dist, had enough with Gowdy, who spent 2 1/2 years investigating Hillary Clinton after four people were killed at the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya.

"If you can't control yourself, how do you expect this committee to control itself," Watson Coleman told Gowdy. "You've been out of control since you've been on this committee. Why don't you leave it alone. This is not Benghazi."

Here is a taste of this mornings kangaroo court #StrzokHearing #Strzok pic.twitter.com/hfNtJqGPYL — Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (@RepBonnie) July 12, 2018

The president, backed by allies on Capitol Hill, have challenged the legitimacy of the collusion probe, despite the fact that U.S. intelligence agencies and the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee have confirmed that Russia did intervene in the election on behalf of Trump.

How can the Rigged Witch Hunt proceed when it was started, influenced and worked on, for an extended period of time, by former FBI Agent/Lover Peter Strzok? Read his hate filled and totally biased Emails and the answer is clear! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 11, 2018

Strzok has drawn Republican fire after being removed from the investigation following the discovery of texts showing him disparaging Trump during the campaign and hoping that he would not be elected president.

His activities drew a rebuke from Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who criticized the FBI's actions in the Clinton probe but found no problems with the decision not to prosecute her.

The Benghazi probe, which cost taxpayers $7.8 million, found no wrongdoing on the part of Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.