Judiciary Chairman Seeks Documents Relating to Reported Bias of Key Agent Handling Trump, Clinton Investigations

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 follows.

 

1.      All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok related to then-Director Comey’s draft or final statement closing the Clinton investigation, including all records related to the change in the portion of the draft language describing Secretary Clinton’s and her associates’ conduct regarding classified information from “grossly negligent” to “extremely careless”;[6]

 

2.      All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok regarding the decision to close the Clinton investigation without recommending any charges;

 

3.      All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok related to opening the investigation into potential collusion by the Trump campaign with the Russian government, including any FBI electronic communication (EC) authored or authorized by Mr. Strzok and all records forming the basis for that EC;

 

4.      All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok related to the FBI’s interactions with Christopher Steele relating to the investigation into potential collusion by the Trump campaign with the Russian government; including any communications regarding potential or realized financial arrangements with Mr. Steele;

 

5.      All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok related to any instance of the FBI relying on, or referring to, information in Mr. Steele’s memoranda in the course of seeking any FISA warrants, other search warrants, or any other judicial process;

 

6.      All FD-302s of FBI interviews of Lt. Gen. Flynn at which Mr. Strzok was present, as well as all related 1A documents (including any contemporaneous handwritten notes);

 

7.      All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok containing unfavorable statements about Donald Trump or favorable statements about Hillary Clinton, including text messages.

 

---