Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
Just When We Thought Peter Strzok Was Gone
After finally recovering from the smirking, disrespectful and arrogant face of Peter Strzok, and approving of his subsequent firing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he’s back.
He’s decided to file a lawsuit against the FBI and Justice Department, stating that his firing was “politically motivated and in violation of two constitutional amendments.” Especially amusing is that he seems conveniently confused about whose actions were politically motivated.
I guess, for starters, we’re supposed to feel sorry for him. As the lawsuit says:
The campaign to publicly vilify Special Agent Strzok contributed to the FBI’s ultimate decision to unlawfully terminate him, as well as to frequent incidents of public and online harassment and threats of violence to Strzok and his family that began when the texts were first disclosed to the media and continue to this day.
I suppose that some will say that the threats he made against Trump’s presidency aren’t relevant to this lawsuit. Except they are, as demonstrated in his messages to Lisa Page, with whom he was having an affair:
In an October text message, Strzok wrote to Page: ‘I am riled up. Trump is a f***ing idiot, is unable to provide a coherent answer. I can’t pull away. What the f**k happened to our country??!?!’ [asterisks used to replace offensive words]
‘[Trump’s] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!’ Page wrote Strzok in August 2016 to which he wrote back: ‘No. No he’s not. We’ll stop it.’
The lawsuit claims that his right to free speech was violated, and that his right to due process was violated, since he was denied the right to appeal his firing.
Not surprisingly, Strzok and his attorney seemed to have ignored certain actions that Strzok took. These actions and behaviors violate the ethics of the FBI. Here are just a few examples:
- Employees shall act impartially and not give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual. (Consider Strzok’s actions on behalf of Hillary Clinton.)
- Employees shall not use official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election. (How about planting a spy in the Trump campaign or submitting the FISA warrant?)
- Employees shall not participate in political activities (to include wearing political buttons) while on duty; while wearing a uniform, badge or insignia of office; while in a government occupied office or building; or while using a government-owned or leased vehicle. (Think about the meetings that were held to plan the conspiracy story.)
In the DOJ’s evidence collection about the Russian collusion hoax, I suspect they will discover that many people lied, including Strzok.
Since Peter Strzok has repeatedly demonstrated his own arrogance, sense of entitlement as an FBI officer and outrageous statements while being interviewed by the House committee, I’m not surprised that he thinks he can win this lawsuit. From one perspective, I hate that government money and time will be spent against his suit. On the other hand, I hope that he will be brought to his knees through a trial. As the DOJ ethics manual says:
In DOJ, political appointees, career SES, ALJs, explosives enforcement officers in the ATF, and employees of the Criminal Division, the FBI, and the National Security Division are further restricted with regard to political activities, and may NOT engage in many of these actions. These employees should seek specific guidance from their ethics official before engaging in any partisan political activity.
His actions against Trump and his campaign can’t be construed as anything other than political activity.
Many people are skeptical about any official action being taken against people who were involved with the Russian hoax. I think that not only will Strzok lose his lawsuit, but the justification for his firing will be presented at the trial. When you are in the FBI, you don’t get special privileges in the political realm.
Announcement to Peter Strzok: No one is above the law. No one.
Published in Politics
I suspect his attorneys are attacking the procedures the FBI uses to fire employees, which are different from the procedures used to fire employees in the rest of the government. They are also probably asserting that the FBI procedures were not followed. Strangely, whether he committed fireable offenses is irrelevant to the litigation.
So, the FBI is still not to be trusted. Great.
It seems criminal indictments of Strzok and McCabe need to get moving so these characters can get occupied with their defense of criminal charges.
It takes a while to turn the ship around, Drew. They say patience is a virtue. ;-)
They reported Strzok was in FBI headquarters, but they didn’t know why. Could it have been in regards to the suit?
Discovery won’t matter, they’re going to get continuances until election day 2020
This is to get ahead of indictments, so the media spin can be it’s retaliation when it’s been in the works for some time.
then they continue to delay the process while the media chastises the administration for using it’s powers to go after political enemies (“the same thing Republicans falsely accused the Obama administration of doing”), and when Democrats presumably win in 2020 it goes away.
@Jeff Hawkins:
An exquisitely cynical take on the situation, and I cannot say it is in any way an unlikely prediction.
Why, just last night I was thinking of all those who have skated away unscathed, from Lois Lerner, to Loretta Lynch, to Eric Holder, the House IT guy who skipped off to and shipped $$ to Pakistan after having been snooping in the Democrats’ House electronic communications for years, the Chinese spy who drove Sen. Feinstein around for years, Saint Comey, the 10 FBI leakers who were not fired, and on and on. I expect foreign spies to try to get information, but Americans? This is getting ridiculous.
“No matter how cynical I get, I just can’t keep up.”
I fear that once the public has become totally exhausted by all the evident blatant corruption without consequences visited upon those engage in it, tyranny will be all the easier to sneak up on us.
Certain thoughts I have come across suspect that is exactly why these lawsuits are occurring now. The DOJ IG report is purportedly about to be released any day now, it’s all rumors and speculation but some think there could be bad news for these two in there.
Filing lawsuits now lets them both get ahead of the game, a preemptive strike where they are not the guilty party but those innocently slandered by partisans. It could potentially taint any jury pool.
Entirely conjecture and speculation but I found it interesting
You’d think that a guy with the ability to contort his face like a cartoon villain while testifying before Congress would understand the irony of this lawsuit. :) But, I guess self-awareness is a bridge too far for him.
It might be legal “final protective fire.” Indictments are coming. In an effort to establish the narrative that he is being politically persecuted Strzok claims that his firing was due to the very same political persecution. It’s circular logic, but seeing as how the noisiest mouthpieces of our media are already in the bag for the resistance and not quite as bright as the typical basset hound, it ought to work just fine.
Then there is the release of 302s on Bruce Ohr. Should make for interesting reading.
I think we’re already there.
Given the widely publicized incriminating and embarrassing texts, I hope for his lawyers’ sake that they did not take the case on a contingent fee.
I hope they did.