FBI agent clashes with GOP at hearing on Russia probe

An embattled FBI agent whose anti-Trump text messages exposed the Justice Department to claims of institutional bias vigorously defended himself at an extraordinary congressional hearing that devolved into shouting matches, finger-pointing and veiled references to personal transgressions.

Peter Strzok yesterday testified publicly for the first time since being removed from special counsel Robert Mueller's team following the discovery of texts last year that were traded with an FBI lawyer in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

In a chaotic hearing that spanned 10 hours, he insisted he never allowed personal opinions to affect his work, though he did acknowledge being dismayed by Donald Trump's behavior during the campaign.

He also said he had never contemplated leaking damaging information he knew about the Trump campaign and called the hearing "just another victory notch in Putin's belt."
"Agent Strzok had Donald Trump impeached before he even started investigating him. That is bias."
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte asked colleagues to imagine being investigated by someone who "hated you" and "disparaged you in all manner of ways."
"What I am telling you is I and the other men and women of the FBI, every day take our personal beliefs, and set those aside in vigorous pursuit of the truth - wherever it lies, whatever it is."
To which Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, responded, "And I don't believe you."
But, he added in a raised voice and emphatic tone: "It was in no way - unequivocally - any suggestion that me, the FBI, would take any action whatsoever to improperly impact the electoral process for any candidate. So, I take great offense, and I take great disagreement to your assertion of what that was or wasn't."
"And the suggestion that I, in some dark chamber somewhere in the FBI, would somehow cast aside all of these procedures, all of these safeguards and somehow be able to do this is astounding to me. It simply couldn't happen."