Dismissal of agent who helped oversee investigations into Russian election meddling and Clinton’s emails ‘deeply troubling’ – lawyer

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

FBI agent Peter Strzok, who once helped lead the bureau’s investigation into Russian election interference and sent texts disparaging Donald Trump, has been fired by the bureau.

FBI agent rejects allegations of anti-Trump bias as a 'notch in Putin's belt' Read more

Strzok, a 21-year veteran of the organisation, helped oversee both the Russia inquiry and the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails, but sent texts critical of Trump including one where he labeled the future president an “idiot”.

An inspector general’s report in June revealed a history of text messages sent during the 2016 presidential between Strzok and Lisa Page, then an FBI lawyer with whom he was having an affair.

In one exchange, Page asked: “[Trump’s] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!” Strzok replied: “No. No he’s not. We’ll stop it.”

The inspector general’s office found no evidence that the attitudes reflected in the texts affected investigatory work, but said the pair’s text messages “cast a cloud” over the investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

Trump and his allies have blasted Strzok, making him a poster boy for their claim that the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election is a “witch-hunt”.

Special counsel Robert Mueller removed Strzok from the Russia investigation after the messages were discovered.

Strzok’s lawyer said FBI deputy director David Bowdich ordered the firing on Friday – overruling the bureau’s office of professional responsibility and going against the recommendation of the career FBI official responsible for employee discipline, who had said Strzok should be suspended for 60 days and stripped of his supervisory responsibilities.

“This decision [to fire Strzok] should be deeply troubling to all Americans,” Strzok’s lawyer, Aitan Goelman, said in a statement.

“A lengthy investigation and multiple rounds of congressional testimony failed to produce a shred of evidence that Special Agent Strzok’s personal views ever affected his work,” he said. “The decision to terminate was taken in response to political pressure, and to punish Special Agent Strzok for political speech protected by the first amendment, not on a fair and independent examination of the facts.”

Trump exulted over the firing on Monday.

“Agent Peter Strzok was just fired from the FBI – finally. The list of bad players in the FBI & DOJ gets longer & longer. Based on the fact that Strzok was in charge of the Witch Hunt, will it be dropped? It is a total Hoax. No Collusion, No Obstruction – I just fight back!” he said on Twitter.

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Just fired Agent Strzok, formerly of the FBI, was in charge of the Crooked Hillary Clinton sham investigation. It was a total fraud on the American public and should be properly redone!

Trump added in another tweet: “Just fired Agent Strzok, formerly of the FBI, was in charge of the Crooked Hillary Clinton sham investigation. It was a total fraud on the American public and should be properly redone!”

Testifying before House committees last month, Strzok said his personal views had never affected his work and called Republican attacks against him “another victory notch in Putin’s belt”.