The FBI agent claims that his "brutal" criticism of Trump never had an impact on his work

An FBI agent who criticized presidential candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 election campaign vigorously defended on Thursday, declaring before Congress that his personal political views had not been met. never affected his official work.

Peter Strzok, who previously worked on an FBI investigation into the treatment of clbadified information of former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, became a target for Republicans who are trying to demonstrate that the FBI is biased against Trump

. collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. He was rebadigned from the probe. Trump and Russia have denied any collusion or mischief.

Strzok said at the hearing, convened by two Republican-controlled House of Representatives committees: "Today's hearing is just another victory in the Republican belt. Russian President Vladimir Putin He said that he had "expressed personal political views during an extraordinary presidential election" and that sometimes his "criticisms were direct", but that this was not limited to Trump. "Let me be clear, unequivocal and under oath: not once in my 26 years of my nation's defense did my personal opinions have an impact on the official actions that I took "Strzok told the committees an extramarital relationship during the 2016 campaign and exchanged thousands of politically charged texts, sometimes they also criticized Clinton

In one, Page asked Strzok if Trump was going to be president. : "No We will stop it. "

Strzok said Thursday that" we "were talking about the American people because he thought Trump would not win the election after criticizing the families whose loved ones were been killed. Mr. Strzok refused to answer a question from Republican Representative Trey Gowdy, head of the government's oversight and reform committee, about the talks he conducted during the FBI's investigation in Russia, claiming that the agency had forbidden him to argue. Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte, who heads the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, threatened Strzok with contempt at the end of the hearing if he did not answer Gowdy's question

. may be brought against someone for obstructing investigations. It is potentially punishable by imprisonment and a fine, but requires several procedural steps.

Strzok appeared before legislators in Congress last month for an in camera interview. Page will attend an in camera meeting Friday with the committees.