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WASHINGTON – The F.B.I. The officer who oversaw the opening of the Russian investigation mounted an aggressive personal defense on Thursday, dismissing accusations that his private political views would have skewed his official actions and labeled Republican attacks as "a another victory in Putin's belt. "
I will be clear, unequivocal and under oath: not once during my 26 years of defense of my country, my personal opinions have had an impact on my official actions, "said Peter Strzok agent to investigators of the House. At the first steps of the FBI
In his first public comments, he concluded his remarks prepared by a sharp line against his antagonists.
"I understand that we live in a political age where insults and innuendo often cover honesty. "Mr. Strzok went on to say, "I have the utmost respect for the congressional oversight role, but I sincerely believe that today's audience is only one." 39, another winner. He concluded: "As a person who loves this country and cherishes its ideals, it is deeply painful to watch and even worse to play a role in Putin's campaign. in. "
[ Read the opening statement by Peter Strzok ]
Mr. Strzok, a career agent, played a key role in two of the most politically controversial cases from the office: the FBI inquiry into Hillary Clinton's practices as a state secretary and a separate investigation into Russia's attempts to interfere in the 2016 elections with the Trump campaign
Strzok has been the subject of close scrutiny since the Inspector General of the Justice Ministry uncovered thousands of text messages that he has exchanged with a FBI chief executive lawyer Lisa Page, who denigrates Mr. Trump
In an exchange, Ms. Page, who also worked on both investigations, told Mr. Strzok that Trump "will never become president , is not it?] "No. No, he will not do it. We will stop him, "replied Strzok
.Strzok said Thursday that he deeply regretted the messages, but that they were no more than private political beliefs. said that a broader look at his texts would show disparaging remarks towards all candidates in the 2016 campaign.
"In the summer of 2016, we had an urgent need to protect the integrity of our work." a US presidential election of a hostile alien power. determined to weaken and divide the United States of America, "he had to say." This survey is not politically motivated, it is not a witch hunt, this is not a problem. is not a hoax. "
The Republicans and Mr. Trump seized these texts, accusing them that they undermine the integrity of the Russian investigation, which has since been taken over by the Special Counsel, Robert S. Mueller III Republican government officials immediately confronted the agent with numerous messages on Thursday.
Republican Representative of the House Oversight Committee, Trey Gowdy, of South Carolina, promptly rejected Mr. Strzok's defenses. "He thinks that calling someone a destabilizer is not a prejudice," said Mr. Gowdy, referring to texts sent by Mr. Strzok. "He thinks that protecting the country against someone that he has not even begun to study is p have a bias. He thinks that promising to "stop" someone whom he is supposed to fairly investigate to become president is not a bias.
Gowdy later said, "It's prejudging guilt.This is prejudging the punishment.And it's a manual bias."
A former officer of the army, Mr. Strzok worked at the FBI for more than two decades. He quickly rose through the ranks and gained a reputation within the office as one of his most savvy and reliable counterintelligence officers. It is this reputation and his increasingly high positions that led him to investigate Mrs. Clinton and finally on Mr. Trump
The Inspector General's report did not criticize Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page, but he found no evidence. that their personal opinions had influenced the prosecution decisions in the Clinton case. Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz continues to investigate how the F.B.I. deals with the main aspects of the case of Russia
. Strzok, who spent a controversial day behind closed doors for an interview with the same lawmakers at the end of last month, has not had any kind words for the Republicans who head the committee.
The committees also requested the testimony of Ms. Page, issuing a subpoena to appear privately for an interview and the threat of contempt when she did not meet that deadline. . Ms. Page's attorneys said that she was happy to testify, but only after the F.B.I. allowed him to review his notes and the relevant files. Two Republican presidents issued an ultimatum on Wednesday that Ms Page would testify alongside Mr Strzok on Thursday or privately on Friday.
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