Republican investigators are poring over text messages between two FBI officials who worked on the Russia probe and had an affair to see whether they were involved in media leaks in the run up to the 2016 election.
Buried among the 10,000 text messages between the pair are several that make reference to specific journalists, parse articles mentioning the bureau, and include language that could indicate advance knowledge of publication of news stories.
Peter Strzok, deputy head of counterintelligence at the FBI, got reassigned from the Russia probe after it was discovered he had exchanged anti-Trump messages with FBI lawyer Lisa Page, with whom he was having an affair. Stzrok got reassigned to the FBI’s human resources department in August.
One pair of messages came just days before the election, The Hill reported.
Investigators are examining texts between Peter Strzok, deputy head of counterintelligence at the FBI, and Lisa Page (pictured) to see whether they were involved in media leaks
Peter Strzok, deputy head of counterintelligence at the FBI, got reassigned from the Russia probe after it was discovered he had exchanged anti-Trump messages with FBI lawyer Lisa Page
‘Article is out, but hidden behind paywall so can’t read it,’ Page wrote Strzok on Oct. 24, 2016.
‘Wsj? Boy that was fast,’ Strzok replied.
Another message refers to a Washington Post article that laid out a timeline for the Hillary Clinton probe.
‘Sorry, Rybicki called,’ Page wrote, mentioning the FBI’s chief of staff. ‘Time line article in the post is super specific and not good. Doesn’t make sense because I didn’t have specific information to give.’
Page was exposed as being the lover of Peter Strzok, deputy head of counterintelligence at the FBI, after it was discovered they exchanged anti-Trump text messages, which led him to be reassigned to the FBI’s human resources department in August.
Their personal text messages are being investigated by the Justice Department’s inspector general and got handed over to congressional investigators.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017. His investigators are reviewing text messages of two anti-Trump FBI officials who worked on the Russia probe
Republicans have been gearing up probes of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators, as well as those who played a role in the creation of the golden showers dossier compiled by ex British intelligence officer Christopher Steele.
Democrats say the probes are an effort to distract from the probes of Russian interference in the presidential election, which President Trump, who is likely to face Mueller’s investigators for questioning, has branded a ‘witch hunt.’
In another email reviewed by The Hill, Strzrok texted Page about an article mentioning the bureau. ”Yep, the whole tone is anti-Bu. Just a tiny bit from us,’ he wrote.
Page texted in response: ”Makes me feel WAY less bad about throwing him under the bus to the forthcoming CF article,’ using an abbreviation that is unclear.
Congressional investigators want to know whether the pair had advanced knowledge of articles that appeared, according to the paper.
BLUE COLLAR: ‘He’s TOTALLY schlubby,’ Strzok, the FBI’s former deputy head of counterintelligence at the FBI, wrote of New York Times reporter Matt Apuzzo, who has produced coverage of the Russia probe
Other texts show the pair endeavoring to track down New York Times reporter Matt Apuzzo, then delving into a critique of his outward presentation.
‘We got a list of kids with their parents’ names. How many Matt Apuzzo’s (sic) could there be in DC,’ Page wrote.
‘Showed J a picture, he said he thinks he has seen a guy who kinda looks like that, but always really schlubby. I said that sounds like every reporter I have ever seen,’ she added, before writing she believed she found his address.
Strzok responded: ‘He’s TOTALLY schlubby. Don’t you remember?’