FBI fires Peter Strzok, agent who bagged Donald Trump in texts to lover

Donald Trump has called for the Russia investigation to be dropped after the FBI sacked the agent who sent anti-Trump texts.

Peter Strzok on July 12 testifies before a house joint committee. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump has called for the Russia investigation to be dropped after the FBI sacked the agent who sent anti-Trump texts despite his senior role in the Russia and Hillary Clinton email probes.

The FBI’s decision to fire Peter Strzok came after he sent a volley of anti-Trump texts to his FBI lover in a move that the President said undermined the credibility of the FBI’s investigations.

The decision to sack the veteran investigator came after FBI deputy director David Bowdich overruled another FBI official who had recommended a 60-day suspension and a demotion.

Mr Trump welcomed the sacking and used it to resume his campaign against the integrity of the Russia probe by special counsel Robert Mueller.

“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 tweeted.

He later tweeted that Mr Strzok was “in charge of the Crooked Hillary Clinton sham investi­gation” that was “a total fraud on the American public”.

Mr Strzok became the public face on the Republican campaign to discredit the Mueller investi­gation after he was removed from the Russia probe a year ago after Mr Mueller learned he had sent anti-Trump texts to FBI lawyer Lisa Page. Mr Strzok, who was deputy assistant director for ­counter-intelligence, faced a combative congressional hearing last month at which he argued his personal opinion of Mr Trump did not get in the way of his professional duties.

A report by the FBI Inspector-General’s Office said it found no evidence “to connect the political views expressed in these messages to the specific investigative decisions” in the Clinton email case.

Mr Strzok’s lawyer, Aitan Goelman, said the sacking was political and had undercut the FBI’s repeated assurances his client would be given the normal disciplinary process. “This isn’t the normal process in any way more than name,” Mr Goelman said. “This decision should be deeply troubling to all Americans.”

The dismissal of Mr Strzok is the third high-profile sacking at the FBI during the Trump era but the first by the FBI itself. In May last year, Mr Trump sacked FBI director James Comey in move that led to the appointment of Mr Mueller. In March, Attorney-­General Jeff Sessions sacked FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe after an inspector-general’s report found he lied about a media leak in relation to the Clinton email affair.

Mr Strzok’s sacking comes when the White House is negotiating with Mr Mueller’s team about the conditions under which Mr Trump would agree to be interviewed by the special counsel. Mr Trump’s lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, said the White House wanted to limit the scope of questions relating to obstruction of justice issues relating to the President’s dealings with Mr Comey.

The White House has called for Mr Mueller to either wrap up or drop the Russia probe but the special counsel’s office has given no timeline on when it might deliver a final report.

With less than three months to go until the November mid-term elections and with the President yet to be interviewed, it seems likely Mr Mueller’s report will now be delivered after the November 6 poll.

The wide-ranging probe is investigating the extent of Russia’s attempts to disrupt the 2016 US presidential election. It is also looking at whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russian officials to target Mr Trump’s opponent, Mrs Clinton.

In addition, Mr Mueller, a former FBI director himself, is examining whether the President has obstructed justice in his dealings with Mr Comey.