{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/judiciary-chairman-seeks-documents-relating-reported-bias-key-agent-handling", "Judiciary Chairman Seeks Documents Relating to Reported Bias of Key Agent Handling Trump, Clinton Investigations", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Republican", "House", "IA", "Charles Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is asking the FBI to prioritize producing documents relating to the activities of high-ranking FBI Agent Peter Strzok, following reports that Strzok engaged in communications demonstrating political bias while handling matters in two sensitive, high-profile investigations. \u00a0To date, the FBI has failed to comply with previous, broader Committee requests that called for records relating to the communications of Stzrok and others regarding Director Comey\u2019s controversial public statement during last year\u2019s Presidential election. \u00a0Strzok was the deputy assistant director for the FBI\u2019s counterintelligence division and working on the investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton\u2019s use of a private server to conduct official business when he reportedly shared text messages disparaging now-President Trump and supporting Hillary Clinton. According to news reports and documents provided to the Committee, Strzok appears to have been responsible for removing language suggesting legal jeopardy for Clinton in former FBI director James Comey\u2019s conclusion of that investigation.\u00a0 Strzok was also among the two agents who would eventually interview former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.\u00a0 Strzok\u2019s behavior and involvement in these two politically-sensitive cases raises new concerns of inappropriate political influence in the work of the FBI.\u00a0In October, Grassley wrote to Strzok requesting voluntary cooperation and a private transcribed interview with the Committee.\u00a0 The Committee has received no letter in reply.\u00a0 In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Grassley requested the text messages at issue, any further communications containing favorable or unfavorable statements about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton and any communications involving Strzok regarding decisions about closing the Clinton investigation or opening the investigation into potential collusion between Trump associates and the Russian government. \u00a0Full text of Grassley\u2019s letter follows.\u00a0 December 5, 2017 \u00a0 VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION \u00a0 The Honorable Christopher Wray Director Federal Bureau of Investigation 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20535 \u00a0 Dear Director Wray: \u00a0Over the summer, media outlets reported that Peter Strzok was removed from his position in the FBI\u2019s counterintelligence division and from Special Counsel Robert Mueller\u2019s team and had been reassigned to work in the FBI\u2019s human resources department.\u00a0 According to recent media reports, Mr. Mueller removed Mr. Strzok from the team after discovering that he and FBI lawyer Lisa Page, his alleged mistress, \u201chad exchanged politically charged texts disparaging President Trump and supporting Hillary Clinton.\u201d[1]\u00a0 It appears the Special Counsel may have learned this information from the Office of Inspector General\u2019s ongoing review of the handling of controversial pre-election activities of the Justice Department and FBI related to the campaign.[2]\u00a0Reportedly, Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page exchanged these text messages while working on the Clinton investigation.\u00a0 Mr. Strzok has been described as \u201ca key player in the investigation into [Hillary] Clinton\u2019s use of a private email server to do government work as secretary of state.\u201d[3]\u00a0 Ms. Page reportedly \u201cwas a regular participant when Comey would hold \u2018skinny group\u2019 meetings on the case\u2014a small collection of advisers who gathered to address sensitive cases.\u201d[4]\u00a0 Additionally, Mr. Strzok reportedly was one of two FBI agents who interviewed former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.[5]\u00a0 The communications between members of the Clinton email investigation team raise questions about the integrity of that investigation, and about the objectivity of Mr. Strzok\u2019s work for the Special Counsel and in the FBI\u2019s investigation of Mr. Flynn.\u00a0 The Committee has previously written to Mr. Strzok requesting an interview to discuss his knowledge of improper political influence or bias in Justice Department or FBI activities during either the previous or current administration, the removal of James Comey from his position as Director of the FBI, the DOJ\u2019s and FBI\u2019s activities related to Hillary Clinton, the DOJ\u2019s and FBI\u2019s activities related to Donald J. Trump and his associates, and the DOJ\u2019s and FBI\u2019s activities related to Russian interference in the 2016 election.\u00a0 To date, the Committee has received no letter in reply to that request.\u00a0 In advance of Mr. Strzok\u2019s interview, please provide the following communications, in the form of text messages or otherwise, to the Committee no later than December 11, 2017: \u00a0 All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok related to then-Director Comey\u2019s draft or final statement closing the Clinton investigation, including all records related to the change in the portion of the draft language describing Secretary Clinton\u2019s and her associates\u2019 conduct regarding classified information from \u201cgrossly negligent\u201d to \u201cextremely careless\u201d;[6] \u00a0 All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok regarding the decision to close the Clinton investigation without recommending any charges; \u00a0 All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok related to opening the investigation into potential collusion by the Trump campaign with the Russian government, including any FBI electronic communication (EC) authored or authorized by Mr. Strzok and all records forming the basis for that EC; \u00a0 All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok related to the FBI\u2019s interactions with Christopher Steele relating to the investigation into potential collusion by the Trump campaign with the Russian government; including any communications regarding potential or realized financial arrangements with Mr. Steele; \u00a0 All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok related to any instance of the FBI relying on, or referring to, information in Mr. Steele\u2019s memoranda in the course of seeking any FISA warrants, other search warrants, or any other judicial process; \u00a0 All FD-302s of FBI interviews of Lt. Gen. Flynn at which Mr. Strzok was present, as well as all related 1A documents (including any contemporaneous handwritten notes); \u00a0 All communications sent to, received by, or copying Mr. Strzok containing unfavorable statements about Donald Trump or favorable statements about Hillary Clinton, including text messages.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 If you have questions, please contact Patrick Davis of my committee staff at (202) 224-5225.\u00a0 Thank you for your cooperation. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sincerely, \u00a0 Charles E. Grassley\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chairman \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Committee on the Judiciary\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 cc: \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz Inspector General U.S. Department of Justice \u00a0 The Honorable Rod J. Rosenstein Deputy Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice \u00a0 -30-\u00a0  [3] Dmirjian & Barrett, Top FBI Official Assigned to Mueller\u2019s Russia Probe Said To Have Been Removed After Sending Anti-Trump Texts.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/judiciary-chairman-seeks-documents-relating-reported-bias-key-agent-handling"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9540170431137085, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}