Peter Strzok

Peter Strzok
FBI government photo
Born
Peter Paul Strzok II

(1970-03-07) March 7, 1970 (age 54)
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, U.S.
Alma materGeorgetown University (BA, MA)
OccupationFormer FBI agent
SpouseMelissa Hodgman

Peter Paul Strzok II (/strʌk/, like struck; born March 7, 1970)[1] is a former United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent.[2][3][4] He was the Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division and led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.[4][5][6][7] Previously, he had been the chief of the division's Counterespionage Section and led the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server.[8][4][9]

In June and July 2017, Strzok worked on Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation into any links or coordination between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and the Russian government.[10][5][7] In July 2017, Mueller removed Strzok from the Russia investigation after text message exchanges between Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page contained criticisms of Trump and his supporters.[11][12] News of the text messages led Trump, Republican congressmen and right-wing media to speculate that Strzok participated in a conspiracy to undermine the Trump presidency.[13][14][15][16]

On August 10, 2018, FBI deputy director David Bowdich fired Strzok for the text messages after the FBI's employee disciplinary office had recommended that Strzok only be suspended for 60 days and demoted.[2] On August 6, 2019, Strzok filed a wrongful termination suit against the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, asking to be reinstated and awarded back pay. He asserted in the suit that his text messages were "protected political speech", and that the termination violated his First Amendment rights.[17] In September 2020, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt published Strzok's book, Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump,[18] which became a New York Times and Washington Post bestseller.[19][20] Strzok is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.[21][22] He also co-hosts a podcast.[23]

  1. ^ "Strzok". The Evening News. Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. March 12, 1970. p. 7. Retrieved October 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b Zapotosky, Matt (August 13, 2018). "FBI agent Peter Strzok fired over anti-Trump texts". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  3. ^ Browne, Pamela (December 2, 2017). "Fired FBI official at center of Flynn, Clinton, dossier controversies revealed". Fox News.
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference CNN changed description was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Hosenball, Alex (September 29, 2017). "Special counsel Robert Mueller has assembled a team of 16 seasoned prosecutors". ABC News.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference BI top investigator was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Price, Greg (December 6, 2017). "Will Trump Fire Mueller? Democrats Want to Protect Special Counsel Amid FBI Bias Cries". Newsweek.
  8. ^ Schmidt, Michael S. (June 14, 2018). "Top Agent Said F.B.I. Would Stop Trump from Becoming President". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  9. ^ Doering, Christopher (March 7, 2016). "Thieves see ag trade secrets as ripe for picking". Des Moines Register.
  10. ^ Bertrand, Natasha (December 9, 2017). "'He was thrown to the wolves': Former FBI agents defend ousted Mueller investigator as Trump attacks 'rigged' DOJ". Business Insider. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference WaPo_2017-12-02 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Vazquez, Maegan (December 17, 2017). "Mnuchin says he has no reason to think Trump will fire Mueller". CNN. [Mueller removed Strzok] after learning he had exchanged text messages with an FBI attorney that showed bias against then-candidate Trump.
  13. ^ "Trump, Fox News, and Twitter have created a dangerous conspiracy theory loop". June 6, 2018.
  14. ^ "Is Peter Strzok a CIA Operative Who Grew Up in Iran and Was 'Placed' in the FBI to Help Hillary Clinton?". Snopes.com. July 23, 2018.
  15. ^ Bertrand, Natasha (June 15, 2018). "How Trumpworld Is Spinning the FBI Report". The Atlantic.
  16. ^ "Fox News hosts ramp up 'deep state' conspiracies". Politico. January 26, 2018.
  17. ^ "Peter Strzok, whose anti-Trump texts got him fired from the FBI, sues for reinstatement", The Washington Post (August 6, 2019). Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  18. ^ "Book excerpt: "Compromised" by Peter Strzok". CBS News. September 8, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  19. ^ "The New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction". The New York Times. September 27, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  20. ^ "Washington Post hardcover bestsellers". The Washington Post. September 16, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  21. ^ “Peter Strzok II Adjunct Professor“, Georgetown University. Retrieved 4 Apr 2023.
  22. ^ Fordham, Evie. “Georgetown University hires Peter Strzok to teach at foreign service school”, Fox News (19 Oct 2020).
  23. ^ "Peter Strzok Peter Strzok to become new co-host on the Cleanup on Aisle 45 podcast". MSW Media. February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.