In a letter sent to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Thursday, Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Charles E. Grassley revealed text messages between bureau agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page show ex-top official James Rybicki believed Deputy Director Andrew McCabe should have recused himself from the Hillary Clinton email Investigation.

Rybicki, who was once chief of staff to James Comey and current Bureau Director Christopher Wray, resigned this week.

Grassley’s letter reads:

[T]ext messages on October 28, 2016, indicate that contrary to the FBI’s December 2016 response, the Director’s Chief of Staff apparently believed that Mr. McCabe actually did need to be recused at a later date. McCabe’s recusal did not take place until one week before the presidential election – a fact that the FBI failed to disclose in its December 2016 response to the Committee. TRENDING: Black Lives Matter Activist Wearing 'Justice for Breonna Taylor' Shirt Walked into a Louisville Bar and Murdered Three People Page: Rybicki just called to check in. He very clearly 100% believes that Andy should be recused because of the “perception.” Strzok: God. Page: Our statement affected the stock market. Page: Don’t understand your email, if it’s a matter similar to those we’ve been talking about lately, why no recusal before? Something different? Strzok: I assume McAuliffe picked up. But that doesn’t make sense. He said he was interviewing, maybe he’s headed into private practice.14 3. As Ms. Page asked, “why no recusal before?

Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch obtained documents showing McCabe didn’t recuse himself from the investigation one week prior to the 2016 presidential election.

Judicial Watch reports:

Judicial Watch today released Justice Department records showing that FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe did not recuse himself from the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s unsecure, non-government email server until Tuesday, November 1, 2016, one week prior to the presidential election. The Clinton email probe was codenamed “Midyear Exam.” While working as Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office, McCabe controlled resources supporting the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s email scandal. An October 2016 internal FBI memorandum labeled “Overview of Deputy Director McCabe’s Recusal Related To Dr. McCabe’s Campaign for Political Office,” details talking points about McCabe’s various potential conflicts of interest, including the FBI’s investigation of Clinton’s illicit server, which officially began in July 2015:

McCabe’s wife, Jill McCabe, also had ties to the Clinton campaign, reported Newsweek:

concerns came after revelations by media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, that a political action committee affiliated with Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, who has ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton, contributed almost $500,000 to the 2015 Virginia state Senate campaign of McCabe’s wife, Jill McCabe. (She lost the election.) She also received $207,788 from the Virginia Democratic Party, which is connected to McAuliffe, a Democrat.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) recently revealed on Fox News that email evidence from McCabe indicates the Clinton email probe was coded “HQ Special.” The term suggests the probe did not follow standard investigative procedures, likely ‘softening,’ the bureau’s findings.

Credit: Fox News Insider

PJ Media reports:

“We have email evidence from Andrew McCabe indicating that Hillary Clinton was going to get an ‘HQ Special,’ a headquarters special,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) alleged on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” Friday. FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe met with both the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees in closed-door hearings on Thursday. […]