Peter Lemiska
Who is Peter Strzok?
By Peter Lemiska
By now, everyone knows the name. He's the senior FBI agent who played a pivotal role in the investigation of Hillary Clinton's email scandal, and was later assigned to Robert Mueller's investigation into Trump's alleged collusion with Russia. He's the one ultimately removed from that team because of his own email scandal.
Recently exposed email correspondence between Strzok and his mistress, Lisa Page, another FBI employee, revealed a seething hatred of Donald Trump. The messages so far obtained contain mostly the same kind of contemptuous words found on most anti-Trump websites.
But some of it was especially troubling and potentially problematic.
In an email, dated Aug 15, 2016, Strzok wrote to Page: "I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy's office – that there's no way [Trump] gets elected – but I'm afraid we can't take that risk... It's like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you're 40." Since both Strzok and Page are senior FBI employees, we can surmise that the Andy they reference is Andrew McCabe, Deputy Director of the FBI. We can only speculate about the "insurance policy" that would somehow prevent a Trump presidency.
In a previous exchange, Page had written to Strzok, "Maybe you're meant to stay where you are because you're meant to protect the country from that menace," referring to Trump.
Though Trump's critics are not bothered by their correspondence, the breathtaking sanctimony alone should be enough to disgust most Americans. More significantly, however, it reveals a probable violation of the Hatch Act and an apparent conspiracy to sway a presidential election, a conspiracy involving Strzok, McCabe, Page, and possibly other high-level FBI officials. The suggestion is not so far-fetched, considering that they were in a position to do just that, simply by skewing the outcome of Hillary Clinton's investigation.
The emails seem to bring everything into focus. Law enforcement professionals had always been bewildered by the many irregularities in the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton. There was the exoneration letter drafted weeks before the conclusion of the investigation. There were the blanket immunity agreements offered to Clinton's associates in exchange for absolutely nothing. And there was Hillary Clinton's seemingly perfunctory interview. But the most shocking aspect of the case came when then-Director Comey issued his final absolution statement, one in which Strzok had made crucial changes.
Now, considering that meeting in McCabe's office, it appears that high-level FBI officials did everything within their power to save Trump's opponent from criminal indictment.
As for Peter Strzok, he is an anomaly in the world of law enforcement. While the vast majority of federal agents and police officers are committed to justice, he seems committed to liberal ideals. Strzok began his career with the FBI as an intelligence research specialist and eventually worked his way up to Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division, before settling into his new position in Human Resources. His background in intelligence taught him that information and disinformation can be used to manipulate public opinion, but he somehow never learned that the role of a criminal investigator is to combat crime, not conceal it. That was apparent through the invaluable assistance he gave Hillary Clinton, the prime suspect in a criminal investigation.
His actions betrayed his colleagues and tainted the reputation of the FBI, along with the outcome of Mueller's probe.
Strzok is not alone in the federal government. There are others like him, self-righteous bureaucrats who think they know what's best for our country, who believe they can abuse their authority to circumvent the will of the people. Those like Strzok, Lois Lerner, and Kerry O'Grady, the Secret Service supervisor who announced that she would rather be jailed than risk her life protecting Donald Trump – they represent the Deep State that conservatives talk about. They have forgotten their oath of office, to faithfully discharge their assigned duties and to protect and defend the Constitution. They have eroded trust in the government and corroded the government itself. They have also forgotten that their salaries are paid by the same taxpayers who elected President Trump.
Donald Trump may be a flawed individual and an unorthodox president, but those who say he is loathsome and unfit for office are the same people who applauded Barack Obama as he repeatedly lied to the American people, arbitrarily ignored federal laws, and deeply undermined our national security through his feckless international policies and agreements. Some of those civil servants must have seen themselves as Obama's employees, risking public humiliation and criminal prosecution to help him impose his radical agenda.
Their real hatred for President Trump stems not from who he is, but from his announced plans to undo some of the damage inflicted by their icon.
We've learned a lot about Strzok and his ilk, yet there is one question all loyal Americans, including Trump's critics should be asking: "Who the hell is Peter Strzok to think he can subvert the will of the America people?
© Peter Lemiska
December 18, 2017
By now, everyone knows the name. He's the senior FBI agent who played a pivotal role in the investigation of Hillary Clinton's email scandal, and was later assigned to Robert Mueller's investigation into Trump's alleged collusion with Russia. He's the one ultimately removed from that team because of his own email scandal.
Recently exposed email correspondence between Strzok and his mistress, Lisa Page, another FBI employee, revealed a seething hatred of Donald Trump. The messages so far obtained contain mostly the same kind of contemptuous words found on most anti-Trump websites.
But some of it was especially troubling and potentially problematic.
In an email, dated Aug 15, 2016, Strzok wrote to Page: "I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration in Andy's office – that there's no way [Trump] gets elected – but I'm afraid we can't take that risk... It's like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you're 40." Since both Strzok and Page are senior FBI employees, we can surmise that the Andy they reference is Andrew McCabe, Deputy Director of the FBI. We can only speculate about the "insurance policy" that would somehow prevent a Trump presidency.
In a previous exchange, Page had written to Strzok, "Maybe you're meant to stay where you are because you're meant to protect the country from that menace," referring to Trump.
Though Trump's critics are not bothered by their correspondence, the breathtaking sanctimony alone should be enough to disgust most Americans. More significantly, however, it reveals a probable violation of the Hatch Act and an apparent conspiracy to sway a presidential election, a conspiracy involving Strzok, McCabe, Page, and possibly other high-level FBI officials. The suggestion is not so far-fetched, considering that they were in a position to do just that, simply by skewing the outcome of Hillary Clinton's investigation.
The emails seem to bring everything into focus. Law enforcement professionals had always been bewildered by the many irregularities in the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton. There was the exoneration letter drafted weeks before the conclusion of the investigation. There were the blanket immunity agreements offered to Clinton's associates in exchange for absolutely nothing. And there was Hillary Clinton's seemingly perfunctory interview. But the most shocking aspect of the case came when then-Director Comey issued his final absolution statement, one in which Strzok had made crucial changes.
Now, considering that meeting in McCabe's office, it appears that high-level FBI officials did everything within their power to save Trump's opponent from criminal indictment.
As for Peter Strzok, he is an anomaly in the world of law enforcement. While the vast majority of federal agents and police officers are committed to justice, he seems committed to liberal ideals. Strzok began his career with the FBI as an intelligence research specialist and eventually worked his way up to Deputy Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence Division, before settling into his new position in Human Resources. His background in intelligence taught him that information and disinformation can be used to manipulate public opinion, but he somehow never learned that the role of a criminal investigator is to combat crime, not conceal it. That was apparent through the invaluable assistance he gave Hillary Clinton, the prime suspect in a criminal investigation.
His actions betrayed his colleagues and tainted the reputation of the FBI, along with the outcome of Mueller's probe.
Strzok is not alone in the federal government. There are others like him, self-righteous bureaucrats who think they know what's best for our country, who believe they can abuse their authority to circumvent the will of the people. Those like Strzok, Lois Lerner, and Kerry O'Grady, the Secret Service supervisor who announced that she would rather be jailed than risk her life protecting Donald Trump – they represent the Deep State that conservatives talk about. They have forgotten their oath of office, to faithfully discharge their assigned duties and to protect and defend the Constitution. They have eroded trust in the government and corroded the government itself. They have also forgotten that their salaries are paid by the same taxpayers who elected President Trump.
Donald Trump may be a flawed individual and an unorthodox president, but those who say he is loathsome and unfit for office are the same people who applauded Barack Obama as he repeatedly lied to the American people, arbitrarily ignored federal laws, and deeply undermined our national security through his feckless international policies and agreements. Some of those civil servants must have seen themselves as Obama's employees, risking public humiliation and criminal prosecution to help him impose his radical agenda.
Their real hatred for President Trump stems not from who he is, but from his announced plans to undo some of the damage inflicted by their icon.
We've learned a lot about Strzok and his ilk, yet there is one question all loyal Americans, including Trump's critics should be asking: "Who the hell is Peter Strzok to think he can subvert the will of the America people?
© Peter Lemiska
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