DOJ Close to Settlement With Two Ex-FBI 'Lovebirds' For Their Involvement in Anti-Trump Text Scandal

Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, former FBI officials, have reached a settlement with the Justice Department concerning alleged privacy rights infringements following the release of their controversial text messages. Former President Donald Trump utilized these messages to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the Russia investigation during his presidency.

The tentative agreement was revealed in a brief court filing on Tuesday, May 28, but no terms were disclosed. Strzok, a former senior FBI counterintelligence agent involved in the investigation into potential links between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, was terminated in 2018 after the emergence of anti-Trump text messages. Page, a former FBI lawyer, chose to resign that same year. In federal lawsuits filed in the District of Columbia, they asserted that the Justice Department violated their privacy rights by sharing copies of their communications with reporters in December 2017. The communications in question contained descriptions of Trump as an "idiot" and a "loathsome human," along with expressions of concern about the possibility of a Trump victory. Additionally, Strzok sued the department regarding his termination, asserting that the FBI yielded to "unrelenting pressure" from Trump and infringed upon his First Amendment rights by terminating his employment as reported by Fox News. The constitutional claims remain unresolved by the tentative settlement, as stated in the court notice.

Last year, Trump, who publicly endorsed Strzok's dismissal and accused him of treason, was questioned under oath as part of the ongoing litigation. In a 2019 court filing in Washington, D.C., federal district court, Strzok contended that his politically charged anti-Trump messages, sent from bureau-issued phones while he played key roles in investigations into both Hillary Clinton and Trump, were protected by the First Amendment per AP News. The text messages were discovered by the Justice Department inspector general’s office as it was investigating Clinton's use of a private email server while holding the government office. 

Strzok, who played a prominent role in that probe, mentioned in his lawsuit that the inspector general found no indication of political bias influencing the email investigation. Despite identifying several shortcomings in the investigation, the inspector general ultimately found no evidence suggesting that partisan bias played a role in these matters. When approached for comment, lawyers representing Strzok and Page chose not to respond on Tuesday, May 28, evening. Similarly, a Justice Department spokesperson and officials refrained from commenting, although the department had previously stated that it was within bounds to share text messages with both the media and members of Congress. 

Both individuals played roles in the FBI's initial counterintelligence inquiry into Russian interference and potential coordination with the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. Subsequently, they became members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team. In 2020, attention was drawn to their relationship during a live performance titled FBI Lovebirds: UnderCovers at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). 

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