House Democrats charged Wednesday that the ongoing effort by Republicans to investigate FBI agent Peter Strzok, who has been criticized for his text messages disparaging then-candidate Donald Trump, is part of a “political charade” by Republicans.

“This investigation is a political charade — a platform to elevate far-right conspiracy theories and undermine the special counsel’s ongoing criminal investigation of the president and his campaign aides,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, in a statement Wednesday.