The Federal Bureau of Investigation has sacked agent Peter Strzok, who helped lead the agency’s inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, The Washington Post reported on Monday. Strzok’s lawyer Aitan Goelman said FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich ordered the sacking on August 10.
Strzok was fired after FBI officials discovered that he had been sending texts critical of United States President Donald Trump to another officer, the daily reported. The agent was fired even though the director of the FBI office that handles employee discipline had decided that Strzok would only face a 60-day suspension and a demotion.
“This isn’t the normal [disciplinary] process in any way more than in name,” Goelman said. “This decision should be deeply troubling to all Americans.”
Strzok had also been investigating former US presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.
Trump expressed happiness at Strzok’s firing. “Agent Peter Strzok was just fired from the FBI – finally,” he tweeted. “The list of bad players in the FBI and Department of Justice gets longer and longer. Based on the fact that Strzok was in charge of the Witch Hunt, will it be dropped? It is a total Hoax. No Collusion, No Obstruction - I just fight back!”
Trump also called for a reinvestigation into Clinton’s use of the private email server.
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