Rep Bob Goodlatte revealed that a subpoena was on it’s way to Peter Strzok and that he is expected to appear on Wednesday for questioning. He is expected to be asked about a series of text messages he sent to his then lover Lisa Page.
Two of them stand out. The latest one is the most damning. In it, Strzok told page that together they would stop Trump. Six days later, he spoke of an insurance policy in case Trump beat Hillary. Unless he is a contortionist, he will have trouble spinning those two texts into something harmless.
“The Committees have repeatedly requested to interview Mr. Strzok regarding his role in certain decisions, but he has yet to appear,” the statement said. The committee was referring to the joint investigation between the Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee examining the FBI’s conduct during the 2016 presidential election.
Strzok was one of two FBI officials removed from special counsel Robert Mueller‘s investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia after it was revealed that he and his colleague, Lisa Page, had sent text messages that were highly critical of then-candidate Trump.
In a statement to The Hill on Friday, Strzok’s lawyer Aitan Goelman wrote that his office found the committee’s decision to subpoena Strzok regrettable.
The subpoena was issued even though Strzok, through his lawyer said he was willing to appear before the committee and not use the Fifth Amendment but he did not say anything about under oath. Perhaps this was Goodlatte’s insurance policy. Lying even if not under oath is still contempt of Congress but lying under oath is the easiest way to prosecute for perjury. Christopher Wray or Rod Rosenstein could move to block his appearance since it has become obvious to everyone that they do not want the truth coming out.
Strzok would be in a good position to testify about Bill Priestap and Andrew McCabe.