In a Friday night news dump, it was reported that the Biden DOJ had settled with former FBI agent Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page over claims of Privacy Act violations related to anti-Trump texts exchanged between the two in 2015 and 2016 while they were having an extramarital affair and which were released by the Trump DOJ to reporters for review in December 2017.
Per the NY Times:
The Justice Department settled a lawsuit on Friday with two former F.B.I. officials who had accused the Trump administration of violating their privacy by sharing their texts disparaging former President Donald J. Trump with the news media, according to court documents.
As part of the settlement, the government agreed to pay the former officials, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, concluding at least some of the litigation. The amount was not disclosed in court filings, but Mr. Strzok’s law firm said he received $1.2 million.
Their texts incited a political firestorm after the Justice Department in December 2017 invited reporters to review them at night before handing them over to Congress. Then a senior F.B.I. counterintelligence agent who helped oversee the bureau’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s possible ties to Russia in 2016, Mr. Strzok exchanged inflammatory messages with Ms. Page, a bureau lawyer involved in the inquiry. Republicans seized on the texts to try to discredit the investigation.
In a statement, Strzok’s attorney, Aitan D. Goelman, said “This outcome is a critical step forward in addressing the government’s unfair and highly politicized treatment of Pete.”
“As important as it is for him, it also vindicates the privacy interests of all government employees,” he also proclaimed.
According to Politico, Page’s settlement was for $800,000:
Page, who resigned amid the controversy, settled her own Privacy Act claim with the department Friday. Copies of the settlement agreements for Strzok and Page obtained by POLITICO indicate Page is to receive $800,000. The documents state that the U.S. government is not admitting or conceding legal liability.
“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,” Page’s lawyer, Amy Jeffress, said in a statement.
Reaction on the Twitter/X machine was swift:
Strzok’s attorneys say they “will continue to pursue First Amendment and due process claims for Mr. Strzok’s reinstatement, back pay, and other equitable relief – each of which was identified in his 2019 lawsuit.”
As always, stay tuned.
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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