WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is asking the FBI to prioritize producing documents relating to the activities of high-ranking FBI Agent Peter Strzok, following reports that Strzok engaged in communications demonstrating political bias while handling matters in two sensitive, high-profile investigations. To date, the FBI has failed to comply with previous, broader Committee requests that called for records relating to the communications of Stzrok and others regarding Director Comey’s controversial public statement during last year’s Presidential election.
Strzok was the deputy assistant director for the FBI’s counterintelligence division and working on the investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private server to conduct official business when he reportedly shared text messages disparaging now-President Trump and supporting Hillary Clinton. According to news reports and documents provided to the Committee, Strzok appears to have been responsible for removing language suggesting legal jeopardy for Clinton in former FBI director James Comey’s conclusion of that investigation. Strzok was also among the two agents who would eventually interview former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. Strzok’s behavior and involvement in these two politically-sensitive cases raises new concerns of inappropriate political influence in the work of the FBI.
In October, Grassley wrote to Strzok requesting voluntary cooperation and a private transcribed interview with the Committee. The Committee has received no letter in reply.
In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Grassley requested the text messages at issue, any further communications containing favorable or unfavorable statements about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton and any communications involving Strzok regarding decisions about closing the Clinton investigation or opening the investigation into potential collusion between Trump associates and the Russian government.
Full text of Grassley’s letter
