Jim Jordan of Ohio asked Rosenstein, who responded that he gave Strzok no instructions. “Why’d you tell Peter Strzok not to answer our questions yesterday?” Rep. Republicans expressed frustration that Strzok was instructed by FBI counsel not to answer questions related to the Russia investigation and other matters. Strzok’s closed-door testimony was raised at several points during the committee’s hearing last week with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, which began roughly 12 hours after Strzok left the Capitol complex the night before. But not under conditions that are so obviously designed to embarrass and a trap an honorable man who has spent 25 years serving his country in the military and in law enforcement.”Ī spokeswoman for House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte did not respond to a request for comment. … He might even be willing to testify publicly before this committee. “(Strzok) is willing to testify again, and he is willing to testify publicly. “Given that the committee is playing political games, violating our trust and its own rules, it no longer makes sense for us to keep playing along,” he wrote. In the letter, Goelman raised the prospect that Strzok might testify in front of another committee. And several Senate committees would also like to speak with him. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, invited Strzok to appear last month as part of the Democrats’ continuation of the panel’s Russia investigation. The House Judiciary Committee is not the only committee that’s seeking Strzok’s testimony. Strzok was removed from Mueller’s team when the messages were discovered, but Trump and his allies have argued the text messages show Mueller’s probe is biased. Strzok and Page, who were having an extramarital affair, worked on the Hillary Clinton and Russia investigations and were part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s initial team. Strzok has been vilified by Republicans for the anti-Trump text messages he exchanged with FBI lawyer Lisa Page. The letter from Strzok’s attorney is the latest shot in the battle between House Republicans and the Justice Department and FBI over the handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton’s private email and possible collusion between Donald Trump’s team and Russia. It’s unclear whether Strzok will accept an invitation to testify unless the transcript is publicly released, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. Strzok’s attorney also called for the transcript of last week’s interview, which spanned more than 11 hours, to be released. “What’s being asked of Special Agent Strzok is to participate in what anyone can recognize as a trap.” “Having sharpened their knives behind closed doors, the committee would now like to drag back Special Agent Strzok and have him testify in public - a request that we originally made and the committee denied,” Goelman said. Embattled FBI agent meets with Congress behind closed doors in 11-hour marathonįollowing his closed-door interview last week, the committee invited Strzok to return to testify publicly on July 10, but Goelman said that date would not work - and raised the possibility he would not return to speak with the panel at all.
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