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Former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page have reached a settlement with the Department of Justice concerning their lawsuits over the release of their private text messages. These messages, which contained critical remarks about Donald Trump, were made public and used against them during the Russia investigation.
What’s the deal: Peter Strzok and Lisa Page filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department, claiming their privacy were violated when their private text messages, which included critical comments about Donald Trump, were leaked to the media. They argued that DOJ and FBI officials improperly disclosed these messages to gain favor with President Trump and to discredit the Russia investigation. Their lawyers contend that this leak caused significant public embarrassment, harmed their careers, and exposed them to severe political and public scrutiny.
What the texts showed: Text messages exchanged between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, both key figures in the FBI’s Russia investigation, contained harsh criticism of Donald Trump, with one calling him an “idiot.” Notably, one message from Strzok to Page read, “We’ll stop it,” referring to Trump’s potential election. These messages sparked concerns about their impartiality and were leveraged by Trump’s supporters to argue that the FBI’s investigation into his campaign was biased and politically motivated.
More on the settlement: Reports indicate that the US government has agreed to pay $1,200,000 to Peter Strzok and $800,000 to Lisa Page. Aitan Goelman, Strzok’s lawyer, commented, “This outcome is a critical step forward in addressing the government’s unfair and highly politicized treatment of Pete. As important as it is for him, it also vindicates the privacy interests of all government employees. We will continue to litigate Pete’s constitutional claims to ensure that, in the future, public servants are protected from adverse employment actions motivated by partisan politics.”
In a brief statement to AP, Lisa Page said, “While I have been vindicated by this result, my fervent hope remains that our institutions of justice will never again play politics with the lives of their employees.”
