FBI/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: “The Justice Department’s internal watchdog has recovered an undisclosed number of missing text messages between an FBI agent and another bureau employee who have come under fire for privately criticizing President Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign.
Republicans and allies of Mr. Trump had raised concerns about the missing texts, which cover a critical time in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe into Russian meddling in the presidential election. Mr. Trump tweeted on Tuesday that the missing texts were ‘one of the biggest stories in a long time.’ The new texts aren’t yet publicly available, but the Justice Department’s inspector general told a prominent senator Thursday they had been recovered.
FBI Agent Peter Strzok supervised the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state, as well as the FBI’s inquiry into Russian meddling in the presidential race. He served as the top agent on special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into any links between Mr. Trump’s associates and Moscow.
Mr. Strzok was reassigned from that job in July after the inspector general uncovered text messages in 2015 and 2016 between Mr. Strzok and an FBI lawyer, Lisa Page, that were highly critical of Mr. Trump.
Republicans and White House allies have said the texts suggest the FBI was biased in its pursuit of Mr. Trump.”
-Del Quentin Wilber, “Justice Department Recovers Missing FBI Text Messages,” The Wall Street Journal online, Jan. 25, 2018 05:32pm