New Strzok-Page Texts Reveal FBI Was Discussing Possible Special Counsel to Investigate Hillary Clinton – Did AG Lynch Refuse One?

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On Thursday, Inspector General Michael Horowitz told Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) that the ‘missing’ text messages between Strzok and Page have been located.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sent FBI Director Christopher Wray a letter demanding answers about some of the ‘recovered’ Strzok-Page text messages.



In one exchange between the FBI lovebirds, the two discussed a possible Special Counsel to investigate Hillary Clinton due to the numerous conflicts of interest. Grassley is demanding to know if then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch refused to appoint a Special Counsel.

Grassley prefaced his questions over a possible Special Counsel by pointing out the obvious conflicts of interest then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch had in any investigation into Hillary Clinton.

 On May 17, 2016, I wrote to FBI Director James Comey, expressing my concern that conflicts of interest existed between Attorney General Lynch and the Clintons due to her firm’s prior representation of the Clintons in tax matters and the fact President Clinton nominated Ms. Lynch to be U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.[3]  In that letter I also asked then-Director Comey how Attorney General Lynch’s conflicts in the Clinton investigation were any different than those of Attorney General Ashcroft’s for which he recused himself.  In the Plame matter, Ashcroft had prior professional associations with one of the suspects, just like Attorney General Lynch had in the Clinton investigation.  Department regulations make clear that when there is a conflict of interest or “other extraordinary circumstances,” and it is in the public interest, a special counsel should be appointed.[4]  In the Plame matter, then-Deputy Attorney General Comey believed a special counsel was necessary.  However, to this day, Comey has failed to adequately explain the difference between the Plame and Clinton investigations.

On March 18, 2016, Strzok and Page engaged in a discussion about the possibility of a special counsel in the Clinton investigation and referenced Patrick Fitzgerald, who was the Special Counsel in the Valerie Plame matter:

Strzok: Thought of the perfect person D can bounce this off of[.]

Page: Who?

Strzok: Pat [] You gotta give me credit if we go with him. And delay briefing him on until I can get back and do it. Late next week or later.

Page: We talked about him last night, not for this, but how great he is. He’s in private practice though, right? Suppose you could still bring him back. And yes, I’ll hold.

Strzok: Yes, he’s at Skadden in Chicago. I haven’t talked to him for a year or two. Don’t forget that Dag Comey appointed him as special counsel in the Plame matter, and that he was there for Comey’s investiture.

Strzok: I could work with him again. And damn we’d get sh*t DONE.

Page: I know. Like I said, we discussed boss and him yesterday.

Strzok: And it frustrates me, because Bill at his 7:15, brings up the whole matter in front of his DADs. One who is acting for Dina. Who immediately goes to John and tell[s] him how Bill is stressed because all the stuff is going on about a special prosecutor. Bill needs to learn to not talk to everybody about this when he’s upset about it. And I guarantee that agent, while discreet, is certainly going to tell at least a few other people.[7]

Strzok: I’m sending [redacted] to the 8:30 with Jones so that I can meet with John.

Page: Did he go so far as to talk about why we started talking special prosecutor?!

Strzok: Don’t think so. In my office talking to John[.]

Page: [redacted][8]

Later, on May 13, 2016, Page texted Strzok:

Hey forgot to ask if you mentioned the whole special counsel thing to andy?[9]

Senator Grassley is demanding answers after seeing this text exchange.

Grassley said, Congress, and the American public, have a right to know whether the DOJ and FBI considered the appointment of a special counsel.  Accordingly, please answer the following:

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In that letter I also asked then-Director Comey how Attorney General Lynch’s conflicts in the Clinton investigation were any different than those of Attorney General Ashcroft’s for which he recused himself. In the Plame matter, Ashcroft had prior professional associations with one of the suspects, just like Attorney General Lynch had in the Clinton investigation.

The difference is that Republican’s usually respect the law and err on the side of caution while Democrats are usually in the positions they are expressly FOR exploiting those conflicts of interests.