Peter Strzok and Lisa Page Settle Lawsuits with Department of Justice Over Leaked Text Messages

WASHINGTON — Two former FBI employees settled lawsuits with the Justice Department on Friday, resolving allegations that their privacy rights were violated when the department leaked to the media disparaging text messages they had sent to each other. former President Donald Trump.

Peter Strzoka former counterintelligence agent who played a crucial role in the investigation into Russian election interference in 2016, settled his case for $1.2 million. Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer who exchanged text messages with Strzok, also reached a separate agreement. Court records reviewed by the Associated Press show she will receive $800,000.

The two sued the Justice Department over a 2017 episode in which officials shared copies with reporters of text messages they had sent each other, including some that described Trump as an “idiot” and a “disgusting human” and that called the prospect of a “terrifying” Trump victory.

Strzok, who also investigated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, was fired after the text messages came to light. Page resigned. They later sued, alleging that department officials leaked the texts to promote a false narrative of anti-Trump bias within the FBI and to elevate the department’s status with Trump following his relentless attacks on then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. .

Justice Department inspector general reports examining the handling of the Clinton email and the Trump-Russia investigations found no evidence that partisan bias within the FBI influenced investigative decisions.

Strzok also sued the department over his firing, alleging that the FBI bowed to Trump’s “relentless pressure” when it fired him and that his First Amendment rights were violated. These constitutional claims remain pending.

“This outcome is a critical step in addressing the government’s unfair and highly politicized treatment of Pete,” Strzok’s attorney, Aitan Goelman, said in a statement Friday announcing the settlement.

“As important as this is to 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 employees are protected from adverse employment actions driven by partisan politics,” he added.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment Friday.

“While this outcome has vindicated me, my fervent hope remains that our institutions of justice will never again play politics with the lives of their employees,” Page said in a statement.

His lawyers said in a statement that “the evidence was overwhelming that the release of text messages to the press in December 2017 was for partisan political purposes and was against the law.”