The FBI agent accused of sending anti-Trump text messages co-wrote a draft of the letter former FBI Director James Comey’s sent to Congress informing members he was reopening the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server days before the 2016 election, according to a report.
Peter Strzok, who exchanged derogatory messages about President Trump and expressed sympathy toward Clinton with FBI colleague and mistress Lisa Page, was in favor of reopening the Clinton probe after new emails were discovered on Rep. Anthony Weiner’s laptop, a source told CNN.
Comey sent the note to lawmakers on Oct. 28, the day after Strzok circulated his “first cut” to other FBI officials on Oct. 27, a little more than a week before voters went to the polls. Clinton has openly blamed that particular letter for her defeat in the 2016 election.
Suggested edits were made to the draft before it was forwarded to Comey by then FBI-chief James Rybicki, per CNN.
Comey would eventually send another letter on Nov. 6 advising Congress the probe had been closed.
That day, Strzok messaged Page about his reticence regarding a public statement, though the pair did not disclose what statement they were referring to, two sources with knowledge of the missives told the network.
Stzrok’s attorney declined to comment to CNN.
Strzok has been targeted by conservatives as an example of bias among law enforcement agencies investigating both Clinton and Trump.
Strzok, a key figure in the FBI’s probe into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, was stood down from special counsel Robert Mueller’s team after the texts between he and Page were uncovered by the Justice Department’s inspector general.
He was one of Mueller’s investigators for only a short amount of time.
