Biden DOJ Gives Peter Strzok, Lisa Page $2 Million Over Texts Exposing Anti-Trump Agenda
Two pivotal figures in the Russiagate controversy against former President Donald Trump, previously exposed by the Trump-era Justice Department, are now receiving substantial payouts from the Biden-era Justice Department.
Peter Strzok, a former FBI agent, and Lisa Page, a former FBI attorney, will split a $2 million settlement. Their communications regarding Trump on government-issued phones came to light during the investigation into the debunked claims of a 2016 Trump campaign connection to Russia. Strzok will receive $1.2 million, and Page will get $800,000, as reported by Politico.
“This outcome is a critical step forward in addressing the government’s unfair and highly politicized treatment of Pete,” said Aitan Goelman, Strzok’s lawyer. He added, “As important as it is for him, it also vindicates the privacy interests of all government employees. We will continue to litigate Pete’s constitutional claims to ensure that, in the future, public servants are protected from adverse employment actions motivated by partisan politics.”
Amy Jeffress, who represented Page, stated, “The evidence was overwhelming that the release of text messages to the press in December 2017 was for partisan political purposes and was against the law.” Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who disclosed the messages, justified the decision by saying it was preferable to release the material to the media rather than allowing it to leak gradually, according to Time.
Rosenstein explained, “The disclosure obviously would adversely affect public confidence in the FBI, but providing the most egregious messages in one package would avoid the additional harm of prolonged selective disclosures and minimize the appearance of the Department concealing information that was embarrassing to the FBI.”
In June, as news of the pending payouts spread through Congress, Attorney General Merrick Garland defended the payments to House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, as noted by Politico. Jordan questioned, “So, you can go after a president, and you get rewarded for doing so, according to the Justice Department?” Garland responded, “It’s not a question of reward. It’s a question of the government paying for violating the law.”
The New York Post editorial board had a different view, stating, “Congratulations, U.S. taxpayers: You get to pay Peter Strzok and Lisa Page $2 million.” The editorial criticized Page and Strzok for “playing politics on the job and getting burned for it,” and suggested that those currently running the Justice Department “share those politics and are taking care of them.”
The Post further noted that “now that Trump looks likely to return to the White House, with his picks to clean house at Justice, they’ve settled a winnable lawsuit to reward Strzok and Page,” concluding with, “Consider it honor among thieves, albeit at the department charged with serving justice.”