Former FBI agent Peter Strzok settles with DOJ for $1.2 million: lawyers

Former FBI agent Pete Strzok, who was fired from the bureau in 2018 after his disparaging text messages about Donald Trump were made public, has reached a settlement with the Justice Department over claims that his privacy rights were violated, his lawyers say.

According to Strzok’s lawyers, the U.S. government agreed to pay Strzok $1.2 million.

In a 2019 lawsuit, Strzok and his lawyers argued that the FBI and Justice Department unlawfully disclosed his private text messages criticizing Trump before and after the 2016 presidential election — including the period when Strzok helped lead the agency’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump, who has frequently attacked Strzok on social media, has argued that Strzok’s political bias cast a shadow over the early stages of the Russia investigation.

After the Justice Department inspector general discovered text messages between Strzok and then-FBI attorney Lisa Page, Robert Mueller removed Strzok from the special counsel’s office to a junior position in human resources and then fired him from the office.

“The FBI terminated Special Agent Strzok for his protected political speech, which violated his First Amendment rights,” the lawsuit argues.

In a statement after the settlement, Strzok’s attorney, Aitan Goelman, said: “This outcome is a key step forward in combating the government’s unfair and highly politicized treatment of Pete. While this is important to him, it also protects the privacy interests of all government employees.”