Former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne named the FBI officials he claims gave him orders as part of a “deep state” investigation.
Over the course of two Thursday interviews on Fox Business and Fox News, he pinpointed former bureau leaders Peter Strzok and Andrew McCabe.
“I got some request, I did not know who the hell it came from and it was fishy and, three years later, I’m watching television and I realized who it was — it was Peter Strzok and [former FBI Deputy Director] Andy McCabe and that’s who these orders came from,” he told Fox Business.
Byrne said it was “confirmed” to him that Strzok gave him orders.
The FBI and Strzok’s lawyer both declined to comment for this article.
The 57-year-old multimillionaire resigned as CEO on Thursday, saying it was best for Overstock, an e-commerce retailer that he led for two decades. The company saw its shares plummet more than 30% after he publicly detailed his involvement in the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
He said he engaged in a sexual relationship with Russian spy Maria Butina at the encouragement of the FBI, but did not rekindle the romantic aspect of their relationship when asked to do so as the Russia investigation progressed. Byrne said he had been swept up in “political espionage” and a “deep state” plot. Butina was sentenced in April to 18 months in prison for conspiring with a senior Russian official to infiltrate conservative American political circles and influence U.S. relations with Russia.
Byrne, who claimed he was offered a $1 billion “bribe” to keep quiet, said he chose to come forward because he felt guilty, tying the decision to the recent wave of deadly mass shootings.
“The issue is, I realized that these orders I got came from Peter Strzok, and as I put together things, I know much more than I should know and tried to keep silent,” he said. “This country has gone nuts, and especially for the last year when I realized what I know, every time I see one of these things, somebody drives 600 miles to gun down 20 strangers in the mall, I guess I feel a bit responsible.”
Earlier this month both Strzok and McCabe, who played integral roles in the Hillary Clinton emails and Russia investigations, filed separate lawsuits against the Justice Department and FBI claiming they were subject to politically motivated firings last year.
Both former officials are likely being scrutinized as part of Attorney General William Barr’s review of the origins of the Russia investigation. When asked if he expects to work with Barr, Byrne said, “Let me be clear, I’m not working with anybody.” But, he said he did provide information to the Justice Department and claimed there are other “whistleblowers” with similar stories.
