GOP put at the grill agent who swore to stop Trump

Peter Strzok, the FBI's counterintelligence officer who texted an attorney at the office that "we will prevent" Donald Trump's then-candidate from becoming president, should appear in camera in camera. two House committees on Wednesday.

The interview, with investigators from the House Judiciary Committee and House Uversight and the Government Reform Committee, is one of the most anticipated testimonies of the FBI's political struggle against the two 2016 presidential investigations.

Strzok held a key position in both polls and, since his anti-Trump texts became public, Trump's allies on Capitol Hill have been screaming for him to testify. President TrumpDonald John TrumpCrowley stunner tops one huge night for left Trump congratulates Romney on primary victory Judge orders trump administrator to start reuniting immigrant families MORE tweeted that Strzok is at the center of a "dangerous" conspiracy against him.

Now, weeks after the publication of a very critical report by the Inspector General condemning Strzok for unprofessional conduct, conservative lawmakers will have their first chance at the man they see as the key to prove the partiality irremediably tainted the investigation of the special advisor on the participation of Russia. election.

Strzok appears voluntarily – as he has proposed for weeks – after the chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives Bob GoodlatteRobert (Bob) William GoodlatteTrump, the Congress have options on the table to prevent the separation of the family GOP advance bill requiring FBI documents Jim Jordan dismissive of the GOP immigration bill compromise PLUS (R-Va.) Filed a subpoena that he issued last week to compel a statement.

Through the intermediary of a lawyer, Strzok is fiercely defended, denying that his views on Trump tainted his investigative objectivity.

"While Special Agent Strzok openly admitted that he thought that the Russian investigation was far more important to US national security than the Clinton inquiry, this conclusion is proof of lucidity of the special agent Strzok and not his prejudices, "said his lawyer Aitan Goelman. when the report was published.

Strzok has been removed from Robert MuellerRobert Swan MuellerSasse: The United States should applaud Mueller's choice to lead the Russian probeThe Inspector General's investigation has alerted the special advocate about the existence of text messages earlier this year, and although he is still technically an FBI employee, he was recently escorted from the office in what is supposed to be a precursor to dismissal.

Even the president's detractors acknowledge that Strzok's conduct, exposed by the Inspector General of the Department of Justice, Michael Horowitz, in a 500-page report earlier this month, is deeply problematic.

The Inspector General found that her texts with FBI attorney, Lisa Page, suggested that he "might be willing" to take official action to undermine Trump's electoral prospects.

In the most explosive new revelation of the report, Strzok said on the page "We will stop him, after being interrogated"[Trump’s] will not ever become president, right? Right?!"

According to the report, this text was "revealing a biased state of mind" and suggested that Strzok would have intentionally slowed the review of e-mails related to the former secretary's investigation. d & # 39; State. Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton Progressive Activist Balter vs. Katko in November Record Number of LGBT Candidates for Governor Pavlich: Lessons from the Left on Incivility discovered after closing the probe, which were on a laptop belonging to former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner (D).

Strzok, as the Clinton Inquiry's No. 2 official, was one of the people who were made aware of the existence of e-mails during their initial discovery.

But the Midyear team – the investigative unit that had managed the Clinton inquiry – did not move to review them until just days before the elections, almost a month after the FBI officials in New York found them.

Strzok told investigators at the time that he was giving priority to investigating the links of Trump's campaign with Russia.

"In these circumstances, we did not know that the decision of Strzok to give priority to the Russian investigation on the follow-up of [a] According to the Inspector General, the investigative lead discovered in the middle of the year on the Weiner notebook was free of bias.

The Horowitz team has found no evidence that anyone else in the Midyear team deliberately placed [the Weiner laptop] on the back burner "- but he nevertheless blamed the delay, arguing that all the explanations that he was given for not acting sooner were" unconvincing. "

So-director of the FBI James ComeyJames Brien ComeyComey: Americans "will get tired" of Trump Jim Jordan: "Too soon to say" to talk to Comey, Warner of Wikileaks Prepare to be disappointed with the conclusion of the investigation on Russia finally ordered an e-mail review and informed Congress of their discovery, lighting a media storm a few days before the election that Clinton and his allies believe cost him the presidency.

The investigators found no evidence that political bias or undue influence had affected the decisions made in the Clinton case prior to the announcement by Comey that he was closing the case. case – a finding that Strzok 's lawyer emphasized.

Despite the "cloud" that text exchanges between Strzok and Page put on the survey, Strzok was not the sole decision maker in any of the investigations reviewed by the Inspector General. And in some cases, before the July announcement, Strzok and Page "advocated more aggressive investigative measures in the mid-year survey, as the use of Assignments to the grand jury and search warrants to obtain evidence ".

But GOP members in the House have pinpointed Strzok's role in both investigations as proof that both probes were infected with anti-Trump bias.

At a recent joint hearing on the report before the same two committees that Strzok will face on Wednesday, lawmakers concluded that Horowitz had not taken any of the decisions made during the Clinton inquiry and that Strzok was the proof A similar bias on the Mueller probe.

"So, you have Peter Strzok who goes from Hillary Clinton's e-mail inquiry, to the FBI Trump-Russia investigation, to the Mueller probe." You have Lisa Page, who is going from there. Hillary Clinton's email survey at the FBI's investigation in Russia, at the Mueller probe, "Rep. Matt GaetzMatthew (Matt) GaetzGOP Legislators Call for Drafts of DOJ Report on Clinton Electronic Inquiry Live Coverage: IG Releases Surveillance Report on FBI, Ryan Clinton Probe Notes on Trump Conservatives & # 39; ; Spygate & # 39; (R-Fla.) Said.

"It sounds like a weird coincidence that the way people tended to end up in the Mueller probe was an association with Hillary Clinton."

Referring to the attention that the issue has brought to Pennsylvania Avenue, Trump has asked that the appearance of Strzok be broadcast "live on television".

"Peter Strzok's hearing and other hate crimes at the FBI and DOJ should be shown to the public on live television, not an in camera hearing that nobody will see," he tweeted Monday morning .

"We should expose these people for what they are – there should be total transparency!"