Peter Strzok, the FBI counterintelligence agent who was criticized for sending anti-Trump texts to his mistress during the 2016 campaign, was fired.
According to Strzok’s attorney Aitan Goelman, Strzok was fired last Friday.
Strzok’s firing came as a surprise: according to Goelman, an internal disciplinary review recommended that Strzok be demoted and given a 60-day suspension from the bureau, but ultimately be allowed to keep working.
However, Deputy Director of the FBI David Bowditch overruled the review and fired Strzok.
“The decision to fire Special Agent Strzok is not only a departure from typical Bureau practice, but also contradicts [FBI Director Christopher] Wray’s testimony to Congress and his assurances that the FBI intended to follow its regular process in this and all personnel matters,” complain Goelman.
Strzok had been a member of both the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server and the Russia investigation being led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
However, he came under fire when texts he sent to his mistress, former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, where he openly smeared President Trump during and after the 2016 election. In one exchange, Page asked Strzok if he thought then-candidate Trump would win. Strzok cryptically responded, “No. No he won’t. We’ll stop it.”