Monday, December 18, 2017

Grassley Seeks Clarity on Justice Dept.’s Response to Political Texts

By Senator Chuck Grassley - (R - IA)

Washington, D.C. - December 18, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley sought additional background on text messages exchanged between two senior FBI employees and records of their communications with the current FBI Deputy Director.  One of the employees, Peter Strzok, played a critical role in the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for official business and mishandling of classified information.  He also appears to be involved in helping to launch the FBI’s investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election.

The text messages provided to Congressional investigators on the eve of testimony by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the special counsel’s investigation, appear to indicate that some officials took actions beyond expressing their political opinions.  One message by Strzok apparently referenced a discussion in the current deputy director’s office about the chances that candidate Donald Trump could be elected, saying “I’m afraid we can’t take that risk” and making a comparison to the need for an insurance policy. Another missive referenced a second phone used to “talk about hillary because it can’t be traced.”

In a letter Wednesday to Rosenstein, Grassley is seeking additional information, including when and how the department became aware of the politically-charged messages, and what steps are being taken to fully review the activities referenced in the messages and take any necessary disciplinary measures.

In October, Grassley sought an interview with Strzok as a part of his ongoing investigation into improper political influence or bias in the Justice Department or FBI. Grassley called on the FBI to turn over any documents related to Strzok’s work and communications following reports of the political messages.

Full text of the letter along with the press release can be found here

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