Peter Strzok, a top FBI agent who demonstrated anti-Trump bias, may yet get subpoenaed to appear before Congress, even though over the weekend he volunteered to go before Congress.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., emphasized Tuesday evening that he is willing to work things out with Strzok, but warned that testimony needs to happen by next week.
“He has now indicated that he would come voluntarily, but he has not pinned himself down on when. So we are imminently going to issue a subpoena for him to appear next week,” Goodlatte said during an interview on Fox News alongside House Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C.
Noting that Strzok “has to understand he has to do it on our timetable, not his,” Goodlatte concluded that the FBI agent’s lawyer should reach out because “the subpoena is coming.”
Goodlatte didn’t make it clear, when asked, whether Strzok would be required to testify publicly, only saying that he’s open to “working with him.”
.@RepGoodlatte: “If [Peter Strzok is] going to appear voluntarily, his lawyer better contact us right away, because a subpoena is coming.” #TheStory https://t.co/6uScz6ghTt pic.twitter.com/tm6Dcv7fnk
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 19, 2018
The interview followed news that Strzok was escorted from the FBI’s Washington headquarters amid an ongoing disciplinary process.
Strzok worked in a senior capacity on both the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server and special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. Strzok was removed from the Mueller probe after it was discovered he and Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer with whom he was romantically involved, exchanged anti-Trump, pro-Clinton messages.
While Page quit in May, Strzok, who was shifted to the Human Resources department, was still an FBI employee as of Tuesday.
Before Strzok’s lawyer sent a letter to Goodlatte over the weekend to say his client was willing to testify, the Virginia Republican had already started the process to subpoena him.
