Robert Mueller did not need to hear Peter Strzokās explanations. It was late July 2017, and the special counsel had summoned the F.B.I. counter-intelligence agent into his office. Mueller had recently become aware of text messages between Strzokāwho was then one of the top investigators for Muellerās probe of Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential campaignāand Lisa Page, an F.B.I. lawyer who was also assigned to Muellerās staff. Some of the exchanges vividly bashed
Donald Trump. And Strzok and Page werenāt just text buddiesāthey were having an extramarital affair.
Mueller swiftly delivered the news that Strzok was being removed from the Russia team. Strzok wanted to try to explain the context of the anti-Trump texts, but Mueller was not interestedānot because he didnāt care whether Strzokās political opinions might have biased the agentās work, but because Mueller was fiercely determined to maintain both the investigationās actual integrity and the appearance of its integrity. The existence of the texts was bad enough, no matter what was intended. Strzok, a highly respected 22-year F.B.I. veteran, left Muellerās office headed for purgatory, a desk in the bureauās human-resources department.
The Secret Game Behind Peter Strzokās Public Hearing
More proof that Mueller is an extraordinarily honorable man.