Peter Strzok: Judge rules Trump could be thrown out of ex-FBI agent case

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CNN —

A federal judge ruled Thursday that Donald Trump can be impeached in a lawsuit filed by ex-FBI agent Peter Strzok against the Justice Department for his wrongful termination after the Russia investigation.

In the lawsuit, Strzok alleges Trumps political vendetta against him that Trump criticized in tweets that led to his wrongful termination, and that the Justice Department improperly released text messages he exchanged with former FBI attorney Lisa Pages. Page is also suing. Trump has denied wrongdoing.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson agreed to the request to impeach Trump.

Given the limited nature of the deposition ordered, and the fact that the former President’s schedule appeared to accommodate other civil proceedings he had initiated, Jackson wrote in a brief order.

The Justice Department argued that Trumps public attacks were not the reason for Strzoks firing.

In recent days, the DOJ sought to block Trump from impeachment, arguing in court that his testimony was unnecessary because FBI Director Chris Wray, Trump’s former White House chief of staff John Kelly and others yet testified about the decision to fire Strzok, who distanced himself. from Trump.

While the individuals who have been ousted to date have recalled the events in question, their testimony does not advance the plaintiffs’ theory that the former President was involved in the decision-making at issue in this case, the fact is it remains that the former President himself openly boasted of his involvement, Jackson wrote.

The lawsuit, filed by Strzok in 2019, is just one of several ongoing lawsuits against the former president for actions he took and things he said while in office.

Whatever the former President wanted to become of Mr. Strzok was immaterial, Justice Department lawyers wrote Wednesday, before Jackson ruled. Because this is [former FBI Deputy Director David] Bowdich that fired Mr. Strzok, the relevant questions are whether Mr. Bowdich or other relevant FBI officials received any direction by the former President to discipline Mr. Strzok or any other expression of former Presidents’ dissatisfaction with Mr. Strzoks continuing to work, or whether any such FBI official acted because of the former President’s public statements.

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