Three of the five FBI employees dinged for anti-Trump bias in the inspector general’s new report ended up on the special counsel’s investigation into Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, raising still more questions about the team Robert Mueller assembled.
Two of those — FBI lawyer Lisa Page and her paramour, Agent Peter Strzok — became known when their vehemently anti-Trump text messages came to light. But the inspector general’s report identifies a third person, labeled “FBI Attorney 2,” who also fired off messages denigrating Mr. Trump and saying “Viva le resistance.”
None of the three are still on the special counsel’s team. Ms. Page left weeks after the investigation opened, while Mr. Strzok departed after a couple of months, when his anti-Trump messages came to light. And Attorney 2, identified this week as Kevin Clinesmith by Rep. Mark Meadows, was ousted from the probe in February, after the inspector general found his messages.
Solomon Wisenberg, a Washington attorney who served as independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s deputy during investigations into then-President Bill Clinton, said it is rare for people to be removed from a special counsel investigation.
“It is not unheard of to have a person quietly ushered out, but to have two people kicked off for the appearance of bias is very unusual,” he said.
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Two of those — FBI lawyer Lisa Page and her paramour, Agent Peter Strzok — became known when their vehemently anti-Trump text messages came to light. But the inspector general’s report identifies a third person, labeled “FBI Attorney 2,” who also fired off messages denigrating Mr. Trump and saying “Viva le resistance.”
None of the three are still on the special counsel’s team. Ms. Page left weeks after the investigation opened, while Mr. Strzok departed after a couple of months, when his anti-Trump messages came to light. And Attorney 2, identified this week as Kevin Clinesmith by Rep. Mark Meadows, was ousted from the probe in February, after the inspector general found his messages.
Solomon Wisenberg, a Washington attorney who served as independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s deputy during investigations into then-President Bill Clinton, said it is rare for people to be removed from a special counsel investigation.
“It is not unheard of to have a person quietly ushered out, but to have two people kicked off for the appearance of bias is very unusual,” he said.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/new...ignal&utm_campaign=pushnotify&utm_medium=push
