By Steve Neavling
Two former senior FBI officials have reached a settlement with the Justice Department to resolve lawsuits that allege they were unfairly targeted because they investigated then-President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia.
Former senior FBI agent Peter Strzok will receive $1.2 million, and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page will get $800,000 from the federal government, The Hill reports.
“This outcome is a critical step forward in addressing the government’s unfair and highly politicized treatment of Pete,” Strozk’s attorney, Aitan D. Goelman, wrote in a statement. “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.”
“While I have been vindicated by this result, my fervent hope remains that our institutions of justice will never again play politics with the lives of their employees,” Page said in a statement to the Associated Press.
The pair filed the lawsuits in 2019, alleging their privacy rights were violated when the DOJ leaked their text messages admonishing Trump while they were having an affair.
Trump and his allies used the texts to amp up their claims that the investigation into his ties with Russia was politically driven.
Strzok and Page were tapped to investigate Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election.
