Former FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok has reached a $1.2 million settlement with the Justice Department over allegations the department violated his privacy and the Privacy Act when it released his information. text messages between him and former FBI employee Lisa Page who criticized the former president Donald Trump.
One of Strzok’s attorneys, Aitan D. Goelman of Zuckerman Spaeder, said in a statement that it was a “critical step in the fight against the government’s unfair and highly politicized treatment of Pete,” and said the agreement “also upholds the privacy interests of all government employees.”
Former FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok is suing the FBI and the Justice Department, claiming his 2018 firing violated his due process and free speech rights and was done only because of political pressure.
The settlement ends his privacy claims, but his wrongful termination claims are still pending. In that claim, he is seeking back pay and other payments for his employment.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Strzok worked for a time on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team and became a frequent target of President Trump Strzok, who filed the lawsuit in federal court in Columbia, is trying to get his job back at the FBI after writing text messages critical of Trump while he was running for president.
Strzok was removed from the Mueller investigation after the messages were discovered and transferred to another office within the FBI. His actions were examined in a June 2018 Justice Department inspector general report, and were escorted from the building later that summer.
He also worked on the Hillary Clinton email investigation and special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the election and any links to Trump associates.
Strzok testified before Congress in 2018 that he was “deeply sorry” He said he sent anti-Trump text messages to Page, but did so in hopes of preserving his privacy.
“I had no idea this was going to happen,” he said at the time.
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