I AM NOW GOING TO FOUND A PODCAST SO WHEN PEOPLE MISSTEP
YOUR HASHTAG THEY MIGHT LAND ON
ME.
ME. >> THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.
IT STARTED JUST AFTER 10:00 AND
ONLY JUST WRAPPED UP THIS HOUR.
I TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE AN ALL
DAY SPECTACLE BUT EVEN I HAD NO
IDEA IT WOULD BE THIS MUCH OF AN
ALL DAY SPECTACLE.
THE MAN OF THE DAY, PETER
STRZOK.
STRZOK. HE WAS THE PERSON IN THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT IN CHARGE OF
COUNTERING FOREIGN COUNTRIES’
INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS IN THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. LIKE, SAY, LET’S SAY, FOR
EXAMPLE, IF THE RUSSIANS OR
SOMEONE MOUNTED A MASSIVE
ACTIONS NETWORK TO SWING OUR
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND BUY
THEMSELVES A U.S. PRESIDENT IN
THE PROCESS.
THE PROCESS. PETER STRZOK WOULD LEAD THE
COUNTER INTELLIGENCE DIVISION IN
THE FBI IN THE EFFORT WITHIN OUR
GOVERNMENT TO FIND THAT OUT, TO
INVESTIGATE IT, AND TO STOP IT.
PART OF THE BACK LASH IS THAT
HIS CAREER HAS BEEN DISMANTLED
AND THE PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN
WHO’S SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT HAVE
HELD PETER STRZOK UP FOR PUBLIC
SCORN AS A TERRIBLE PERSON.
THAT’S ONE OF THE WAYS HE’LL GO
DOWN IN HISTORY WHEN THIS IS
SAID AND DONE.
AMERICA WAS HIT BY A MASSIVE
INTELLIGENCE OPERATION INFECTED
OUR DEMOCRACY.
OUR DEMOCRACY. RIGHT?
RIGHT? THAT WAS DESIGNED TO SWAY AN
ELECTION THE WAY RUSSIA WANTED
IT SWAYED.
IT SWAYED. AND TO HURT OUR COUNTRY IN THE
PROCESS.
PROCESS. THE PARTY RESPONDED BY
DESTROYING AND REMOVING THE TOP
OFFICIAL IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
IN CHARGE OF FIGHTING RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS ON OUR
SOIL.
SOIL. SO THAT’S ONE OF THE WAYS HE’LL
GO DOWN IN HISTORY.
ANOTHER IS WHILE THE FBI WAS
MOUNDING THIS MAJOR COUNTER
INTELLIGENCE OPERATION INTO A
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND THE
QUESTION OF WHERE IT WAS IN
CAHOOTS WITH A HOSTILE FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT IN ITS INTELLIGENCE
OPERATION, WHILE THAT WAS
HAPPENING THE FBI INVESTIGATION
WAS NEVER LEAKED TO THE PUBLIC.
EVER.
EVER. THAT, TOO, WILL GO DOWN IN
HISTORY.
HISTORY. THE COUNTER INTELLIGENCE AND
WHETHER OR NOT THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN WAS IN ON IT.
THAT WAS ONLY CONFIRMED BY
DIRECTOR JIM COMEY IN MARCH
2017, TWO FULL MONTHS AFTER
DONALD TRUMP HAD BEEN SWORN IN
AS PRESIDENT.
AS PRESIDENT. THE FBI KEPT THAT INFORMATION
SECRET FOR THE ENTIRE CAMPAIGN
AND THEN REFUSED TO CONFIRM IT
UNTIL MONTHS AFTER THE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY.
PRESIDENCY. DESPITE MEDIA REPORTS STARTING
TO GET WIND THAT THERE WAS
SOMETHING GOING ON.
THEY DIDN’T CONFIRM IT UNTIL
MONTHS AFTER HE WAS SWORN IN.
THEY KEPT IT MUM BECAUSE IT WAS
AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION.
THAT’S A REMARKABLE THING ABOUT
THAT INVESTIGATION.
THAT INVESTIGATION. ON WHICH PETER STRZOK WAS A
SENIOR COUNTER INTELLIGENCE
AGENT.
AGENT. I THINK IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE
FIRST THINGS HE SAID.
>> IN THE SUM HE OF 2016 HE WAS
ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHO KNEW
ABOUT THE RUSSIAN ELECTION
INTERFERENCE AND ITS POSSIBLE
CONNECTION WITH MEMBERS OF THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN. THIS INFORMATION HAD THE
POTENTIAL TO DERAIL AND QUITE
POSSIBLY DEFEAT MR. TRUMP.
BUT THE THOUGHT OF EXPRESSING
THAT OR EXPOSING THAT
INFORMATION NEVER CROSSED MY
MIND.
MIND. >> THE REPUBLICAN CASE AGAINST
PETER STRZOK, THEM DEFINING HIM
AS ENEMY NUMBER ONE.
THE WAY THEY HAVE MADE HIM
SUBJECT TO PUBLIC PILLORY.
THAT IT WAS MOTIVATED PURELY BY
HIS WISH TO HURT THE
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. IF THAT’S THE CASE, HONESTLY,
WHY DIDN’T HE OR ANYBODY ELSE AT
THE FBI TELL PUBLIC AT ANY POINT
BEFORE THE ELECTION THAT DONALD
TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN WAS IN FACT
SUBJECT OF A VERY SERIOUS
COUNTER INTELLIGENCE
COUNTER INTELLIGENCE INVESTIGATION?
INVESTIGATION? IF THE WHOLE THEY KNOW WAS
MOTIVATED BY THIS, IT IS A
FOUNDATIONALLY AWKWARD THING.
THAT’S HOW THE DAY STARTED.
THEN PETER STRZOK WENT ON TO
MAKE THE WHOLE DAY QUITE AWKWARD
FOR REPUBLICANS.
FOR REPUBLICANS. TODAY REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN
SALIVATING OVER THE PROSPECTS
FOR THIS HEARING.
AND THEN PETER STRZOK HAS FILLED
THEM WITH GLEE.
HE WERE SUPER EXCITE TO BERATE
PETER STRZOK OVER HIS TEXTS TO
LISA PAGE.
LISA PAGE. THE PROBLEM IS IT IS EASIER TO
BEAT UP ON A GUY WHO ISN’T THERE
ABLE TO EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT HE
MET.
MET. >> IF I MAY, WHAT IS IMPORTANT
IS THAT THESE TEXTS REPRESENT
PERSONAL BELIEFS LIKE WOULD YOU
FIND ON MY PERSONAL PHONE.
WHAT THEY DONAL REPRESENT IS ANY
ACT, ANY CONSIDERATION THAT WE
NEED TO DO THIS OR NOT DO THIS.
I FORGET WHO I SAID THIS TO
EARLIER THIS MORNING, YOU NEED
TO READ THE TEXTS IN THE CONTEXT
OF WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE
TIME.
TIME. WHEN I MAKE THE COMMENT ABOUT
TRUMP HAVING NO IDEA HOW
DESTABILIZING HIS PRESIDENCY
WOULD BE, THAT CAME ON THE HEELS
OF A SPEECH WHERE CANDIDATE
TRUMP SAID HE DIDN’T KNOW
WHETHER OR NOT THE UNITED STATES
SHOULD HONOR ITS COMMITMENT TO
MUTUAL DEFENSE UNDER NATO.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THAT’S NOT BRIEFLY.
>> MAY THE WITNESS BE
PERMITTED --
PERMITTED -- >> NO, NO, NO.
>> HE SHOULD BE PER NOTICED
ANSWER HIS QUESTION.
>> I TOLD THE GENTLEMAN HE COULD
ANSWER BRIEFLY.
ANSWER BRIEFLY. >> HE HAS NOT FINISHED
ANSWERING.
ANSWERING. >> WE WILL NOW TURN TO THE
GENTLE WOMAN FROM WASHINGTON,
D.C. FOR HER QUESTIONS.
>> YOU WANT TO ASK ME WHAT I
MEANT WHEN TIPPED TRUMP
PRESIDENCY MIGHT BE
DESTABILIZING?
DESTABILIZING? THAT WAS ABOUT NATO.
ON THE NIGHT BEFORE TRUMP
OFFICIALLY ACCEPTED THE
REPUBLICAN NOMINATION, THE DAY
BEFORE THE THEN CANDIDATE HAD
PUBLICLY QUESTIONED AMERICA’S
COMMITMENT TO DEFENDING OUR
ALLIES IN NATO.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH "THE NEW
YORK TIMES."
YORK TIMES." THIS IS A REAL THING THAT
HAPPENED THAT PETER STRZOK
RESPONDED TO AS AN AMERICAN.
QUOTING FROM THAT "NEW YORK
TIMES" ARTICLE.
TIMES" ARTICLE. ASKED ABOUT RUSSIA’S THREATENING
ACTIVITIES WHICH HAVE UNNERVED
THE SMALL BALTIC STALTS, MR.
TRUMP SAID IF RUSSIA ATTACKED
THEM, HE WOULD DECIDE WHETHER TO
COME TO THEIR AID ONLY AFTER
REVIEWING IF THOSE NATIONS HAVE
FULFILLED THEIR OBLIGATIONS TO
US.
US. AS THE "TIMES" WROTE, THE
STATEMENT APPEARED TO BE THE
FIRST TIME A MAJOR CANDIDATE FOR
PRESIDENT HAD SUGGESTED
CONDITIONING THE UNITED STATES
DEFENSE OF ITS MAJOR ALLIES.
ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. THAT’S VERY FAMILIAR, RIGHT?
THE SAME DYNAMIC WE SAW TODAY
WHERE THE PRESIDENT AUTHENTICED
IF FELLOW MEMBERS OF NATO DIDN’T
COMMIT TO DEFENSE SPENDING, HE
WOULD, QUOTE, DO HIS OWN THING.
SO NOT ONLY WAS PETER STRZOK
RESPONDING TO A REAL THING IN
THE WORLD WHERE THE IDEA OF
HAVING A DESTABILIZING, IT IS
THIS MOMENT IN OUR LIVES WE’RE
LIVING THROUGH MANIFESTATION OF
THAT WHILE HE IS PRESIDENT.
THAT’S WHY DARRELL ISSA DIDN’T
WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT.
OKAY.
OKAY. LET’S MOVE ON.
UNDER HOSTILE QUESTIONING FROM
OVERSIGHT COMMISSIONER TREY
GOWDY, PETER STRZOK DID GET TO
EXPLAIN THE CONTEXT OF AN AUGUST
8th TEXT MESSAGE.
ONE OF THE ONES THAT REPUBLICANS
REALLY, REALLY LOVE QUOTING.
IN THE EXCHANGE, LISA PAGE HAD
WRITTEN TRUMP WON’T EVER BECOME
PRESIDENT, RIGHT?
PRESIDENT, RIGHT? TO WHICH HE RESPONDED NO, NO
HE’S NOT.
HE’S NOT. WE’LL STOP IT.
GIVEN THE CHANCE TO EXPLAIN THE
CONTEXT OF THAT MEN, PETER
STRZOK DID SO ON TV OUT LOUD.
AND IT WAS NOT WHAT REPUBLICANS
WANTED.
WANTED. ALSO, CHECK OUT THE RESPONSE IN
THE ROOM WHEN HE FINISHES UP
HERE.
HERE. >> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT, WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THOSE TEXTS, THAT
YOU UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT IN
WHICH THEY WERE MADE AND THE
THINGS GOING ON ACROSS MANAGER.
IN TERMS OF THE TEXT THAT, WE
WILL STOP IT.
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WAS
WRITTEN LATE AT NIGHT OFF THE
CUFF AND IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO A
SERIES OF EVENTS THAT INCLUDED
THEN CANDIDATE TRUMP INSULTING
THE IMMIGRANT FAMILY OF A FALLEN
WAR HERO.
WAR HERO. AND MY PRESUMPTION BASED ON THAT
HORRIBLE DISGUSTING BEHAVIOR
THAT THE AMERICAN POPULATION
WOULD NOT ELECT SOMEBODY
DEMONSTRATING THAT BEHAVIOR TO
BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. IT WAS IN NO WAY UNEQUIVOCALLY
ANY SUGGESTION THAT ME, THE FBI,
WOULD TAKE ANY ACTION WHATSOEVER
TO IMPROPERLY IMPACT THE
ELECTORAL PROCESS FOR ANY
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. SO I TAKE GREAT OFFENSE AND I
TAKE GREAT DISAGREEMENT TO YOUR
AS, HE TO WHAT THAT WAS OR WAS
NOT.
NOT. AS TO THE 100 MILLION TO ONE,
THAT WAS USING HYPERBOLE.
I OF COURSE RECOGNIZE THAT
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WERE
LIKELY TO VOTE FOR CANDIDATE
TRUMP I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IS
ABSOLUTELY THEIR RIGHT.
THAT IS WHAT MAKES OUR DEMOCRACY
SUCH A VIBRANT PROCESS THAT IT
IS.
IS. BUT TO SUGGEST SOMEHOW THAT WE
CAN PARSE DOWN THE WORDS OF
SHORT HAND, TEXTURAL
CONVERSATIONS LIKE THEY’RE
CONTRACT FOR A CAR IS NOT
CONSISTENT WITH MY AND MOST
PEOPLE’S USE OF TEXT MESSAGING.
I CAN ASSURE YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN,
AT NO TIME IN ANY OF THESE TEXTS
DID THE PERSONAL BELIEFS EVER
ENTER INTO THE REALM OF ANY
ACTION I TOOK.
FURTHERMORE, THIS ISN’T JUST ME
SITTING HERE TELLING ME, YOU
DON’T TO HAVE TAKE MY WORD FOR
IT.
IT. AT EVERY STEP, AT EVERY
INVESTIGATIVE DECISION, THERE
ARE MULTIPLE LAYERS ABOVE ME,
THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR,
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR,
MULTIARE LAYERS OF PEOPLE BELOW
ME.
ME. SECTION CHIEFS, UNIT CHIEFS,
CASE AGENTS AND ANALYSTS, ALL OF
WHOM WERE INVOLVED IN ALL OF
THESE DECISIONS.
THESE DECISIONS. THEY WOULD NOT TOLERATE ANY
IMPROPER BEHAVIOR IN ME ANY MORE
THAN I WOULD TOLERATE IT IN
THEM.
THEM. THAT IS WHO WE ARE AS THE FBI.
THE SUGGESTION THAT AND I SOME
DARK CHAMBER IN THE FBI WOULD
SOMEHOW CAST ASIDE ALL OF THESE
PROCEDURES, ALL OF THESE
SAFEGUARDS AND SOMEHOW BE ABLE
TO DO THIS IS ASTOUNDING TO ME.
IT SIMPLY COULDN’T HAPPEN.
THE PROPOSITION THAT THAT IS
GOING ON, THAT IT MIGHT OCCUR
ANYWHERE IN THE FBI, DEEPLY
KROEDS WHAT THE FBI IS AND
AMERICAN SOCIETY, THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF THEIR MISSION
AND IT IS DEEPLY DESTRUCTIVE.
>> YOU CAN SEE FROM THE
REACTION, FROM THE DEMOCRATS IN
THE ROOM THIS, HOW THAT LANDED.
THIS IS NOT WHAT REPUBLICANS
WERE EXPECTING OR HOPING FOR
FROM THEIR DATA.
PUT PETER STRZOK IN THE HOT
SEAT, RIGHT?
SEAT, RIGHT? THEY THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE BEAT
THE PINATA DAY.
IT TURNS OUT THE PINATA IS ALIVE
AND IT HAS ITS OWN BAT.
HERE’S REPUBLICAN TREY GOWDY
QUESTIONING PETER STRZOK ABOUT A
TEXT.
TEXT. THIS WAS FROM AFTER PRESIDENT
TRUMP WAS ELECTED AND HE IS
EXPLAINING THAT, PETER STRZOK IS
EXPLAINING THAT HIS WE WILL STOP
HIM TWEET MEANS HE THOUGHT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULD STOP HIM.
BECAUSE, FOR OBJECTION REASONS.
>> HE WANTED HIM TO RESIGN TWO
MONTHS INTO HIS PRESIDENCY?
>> MY SENSE WAS, PERSONAL BELIEF
THAT I WAS NOT PLEASED WITH THE
DIRECTION AND THINGS WERE BEING
DONE WITH THE PRESIDENCY.
>> I THOUGHT YOU TRUSTED THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICAN PEOPLE. I THOUGHT THAT’S WHAT YOU SAID
IN AUGUST OF 2016.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULD STOP
HIM AND THEY DIDN’T STOP HIM.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU’RE NOT
TRUSTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. >> SIR, WHAT I UTTERLY TRUST THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, WHAT I WORRY
ABOUT IS WHEN THE GOVERNMENT OF
RUSSIA PUTS THEIR FINGER ON THE
SCALE.
SCALE. OTHER THAN AMERICA --
>> I UTTERLY TRUST THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS WHEN THE
GOVERNMENT OF RUSSIA PUTS THEIR
FINGER ON THE SCALE AND CAUSES
THE WILL OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
TO BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN
AMERICA ELECTING OUR PRESIDENT.
RIGHT, MR. GOWDY?
YOU AGREE THAT, CONGRESSMAN,
DON’T YOU?
DON’T YOU? WE’RE CHANGING THE SUBJECT?
OKAY.
OKAY. WE ALSO HEARD PETER STRZOK
EXPLAIN IN HIS OWN WORDS WHAT
INFORMATION HE WAS WORKING WITH
IN THOSE FRANTIC LAST FEW DAYS
OF THE CAMPAIGN.
THE START OF THE INVESTIGATION.
THE NATURE OF THE INFORMATION
THAT HAD COME INTO THE FBI ABOUT
RUSSIA’S ACTIONS AND WHERE THAT
INFORMATION HAD COME FROM.
>> DURING YOUR JUNE 2016 --
EXCUSE ME.
EXCUSE ME. JUNE 2018 INTERVIEW, I NOTICED
SOME CONCERN IN YOUR VOICE WHEN
RECALLING THE 2016 CAMPAIGN
SEENS.
SEENS. SPECIFICALLY OCTOBER 2016, AND
SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO
THE STATE OF THE TRUMP-RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. WHY WERE YOU SO CONCERNED THAT
WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THAT TIME?
>> WELL, TRYING TO KEEP THIS AT
A LEVEL, NOT TALKING ABOUT OPEN
INVESTIGATIONS --
INVESTIGATIONS -- >> ONLY YOUR --
>> YES, MA’AM.
THE PREDICATING INFORMATION, THE
INFORMATION WE HAD WHICH WAS
ALLEGING A RUSSIAN OFFER OF
ASSISTANCE, A MEMBER OF TRUMP
CAMPAIGN, IT WAS OF
EXTRAORDINARY SIGNIFICANCE.
EXTRAORDINARY SIGNIFICANCE. IT WAS CREDIBLE.
FROM AN INCREDIBLY SENSITIVE
SOURCE.
SOURCE. AS WE LOOKED AT WHAT THAT
REPRESENTED, THE KEY TIME WAS
COMING INTO THE ELECTION.
SO FOR US, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY A
NEED ON, ONE, THIS WAS A SERIOUS
ALLEGATION.
ALLEGATION. TWO, OF EXTRAORDINARY GRAVITY.
AND THREE, GIVEN THE FACT THE
ELECTION WAS UPON US, AND THAT
IF IN FACT CANDIDATE TRUMP WERE
ELECTED, WHETHER HE OR POSSIBLY
MEMBERS OF HIS CAMPAIGN, WERE
ACTIVELY WORKING THE RUSSIANS,
WE NEEDED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF IT.
OF IT. IT COULD BE THAT NONE OF THEM
WRFLT IT COULD BE THAT SOME, OR
ON A FAR WORSE SCALE.
THE URGENCY FOR TO US UNDERSTAND
WHAT WAS GOING ON IN ADVANCE OF
THE ELECTION, CERTAINLY IN
ADVANCE OF ANY INAUGURATION.
I CAN’T OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE
OF THAT.
OF THAT. >> THAT WAS FROM AN
EXTRAORDINARY INCREDIBLE SOURCE.
THE INFORMATION WE HAD WHICH WAS
ALLEGING A RUSSIAN OFFER OF
ASSISTANCE TO A MEMBER OF TRUMP
CAMPAIGN, THAT WAS OF
EXTRAORDINARY SIGNIFICANCE.
EXTRAORDINARY SIGNIFICANCE. IT WAS INCREDIBLE.
FROM AN EXTRAORDINARILY CREDIBLE
SOURCE.
SOURCE. THIS WAS A SITUATION OF
EXTRAORDINARY GRAVITY.
EXTRAORDINARY GRAVITY. THE URGENCY FOR US TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT WAS GOING ON IN ADVANCE OF
THE ELECTION AND CERTAINFULLY
ADVANCE OF THE AUGUST, I CAN’T
OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE OF
THAT.
THAT. WE HAVEN’T HEARD THAT DETAIL
BEFORE ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION AND WHAT
THE FBI HAD STARTED
INVESTIGATING.
INVESTIGATING. WE AT LEAST HAVEN’T HEARD THAT
FROM THE SENIOR COUNTER
INTELLIGENCE CHIEF WHO WAS
LEADING IT AT THE TIME.
ANOTHER THING WE LEARNED CAME
DURING SOME QUESTIONING BY THE
TOP DEMOCRAT ON THE COMMITTEE.
THE CONGRESSMAN TRIED TO GET
PETER STRZOK TO EXPLAIN WHY HE
HAD PRIORITIZED THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION OVER THE CLINTON
E-MAIL INVESTIGATION IN THE LAST
MONTH OF THE 2016 CAMPAIGN.
THAT’S OF COURSE ONE OF THE BIG
CRITICISMS REPUBLICANS HAVE
LEVELED AT PETER STRZOK.
THAT HE WAS ACTING IN A BIASED
WAY WHEN HE PRIORITIZED THE
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION OVER THE
CLINTON E-MAIL INVESTIGATION IN
THE FINAL MONTH OF THE CAMPAIGN
WHEN NEW E-MAILS WERE DISCOVERED
ON THE LAPTOP OF ANTHONY WEINER.
THE HUSBAND OF HILLARY CLINTON’S
TOP AIDE.
TOP AIDE. PETER STRZOK’S LAWYER HAD
ALREADY TAKEN A SWING OF THIS
AHEAD OF THE HEARING.
HE HAD ALREADY PUT OUT A PUBLIC
STATEMENT AHEAD OF THE HEARING
SAYING, OF COURSE HE PRIORITIZED
THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
ANYBODY WOULD.
TO REQUIRE SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICIALS TO PROFESS
FETALLY TO THIS FALSE EGIVE
EXCELLENCE BOTH SHORT SIDED AND
DANGEROUS.
DANGEROUS. SO THAT WAS PETER STRZOK’S LINE
THIS QUESTION THROUGH HIS LAWYER
BEFORE TODAY’S HEARING.
WHEN HE FINALLY GOT TO SIT DOWN
IN FRONT OF A MICROPHONE TODAY,
HE WAS ABLE TO GIVE HIS OWN
ACCOUNT IN HIS OWN WORDS OF WHY
HE DID THAT WHICH INCLUDED SOME
NEW INFORMATION.
NEW INFORMATION. >> THE FIRST REASON IS BECAUSE
THE DIRECTOR TOLD ME.
TO HE SAID IT WAS A TOP
PRIORITY.
PRIORITY. AND THE SECOND THING WAS CLEARLY
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ALLOCATION
OF RESOURCES BASED ON THE THREAT
TO NATIONAL SECURITY, THE
RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION IS A
GREATER IMPACT THAN A CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION INVESTIGATION.
INFORMATION INVESTIGATION. >> THE FIRST IS THAT THE
DIRECTOR TOLD YOU TO.
>> YES, SIR.
>> THE DIRECTOR TOLD YOU TO.
>> THAT’S SOMETHING NEW WE
LEARNED TODAY.
LEARNED TODAY. THEN FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY
ORDERED PETER STRZOK TO
PRIORITIZE THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION AHEAD OF THE
CLINTON E-MAIL INVESTIGATION AT
THAT POINT BECAUSE OF THE FAR
GRAVER AND MORE URGENT THREAT IT
POSED AT THAT POINT.
WE DID NOT EXPECT TO GET THAT
INFORMATION TODAY.
INFORMATION TODAY. WHEN YOU SPEND TEN HOURS
QUESTIONING THE COUNTRY’S SENIOR
COUNTER INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL
LOOKING INTO RUSSIAN MATMATTERS,
YOU’RE GOING TO LEARN SOME THING
YOU MIGHT NOT EXPECT.
REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN WAITING
FOR THIS DAY.
THEY’VE BEEN SO EXCITED TO DIG
THEIR TEETH INTO PETER ZPROSK
MAKE THEM INTO MORE OF AN ENEMY.
THEY HOPED WOULD IT RESULT IN
ALL KINDS OF HEADLINES.
EXCEPT WHAT WE SAW TODAY FROM
THE ALLIES OF THE PRESIDENT
DIDN’T NECESSARILY PRODUCE THE
HEADLINES THEY WERE AFTER.
IT WAS SORT OF CLEAR TODAY THAT
THEY MIGHT HAVE BITTEN OFF MORE
THAN THEY COULD CHEW WITH PETER
STRZOK.
STRZOK. TEN HOURS WHERE THEY DIDN’T LAY
A FINGER ON HIM PROVES THAT MORE