Complete exchange between Rep. Trey Gowdy and FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok

I'm miss chairman they just struck the FBI investigation into potential Russia collusion with the Trump campaign began on July 31st 2016 you drafted the originating document you approve the originating document you were the point of contact on the originating document and the FBI has represented to Congress that nothing from an investigative standpoint with respect to Russian collusion and the Trump campaign began before July 31st 2016 but 10 days before the investigation even began 10 days before you drafted the originating document approved the originating document was the point of contact on the originating document 10 days before the investigation began which the department you work for says nothing was done before July 31st you said Trump is a disaster I have no idea how destabilizing his presidency would be and because you struggled a couple of weeks ago with a word that I thought a commonly accepted definition I'm gonna go ahead and give you the definition of destabilizing the first one kind of as obvious it's to make unstable the second one caught my attention the second dictionary definition to call something such as a government to be incapable of functioning or surviving that's a pretty significant allegation to make 10 days before you even began to investigate someone so that was before July 31st I want to ask you in that first week we'll go ahead and up into eight days between July 31st and August 8th how many interviews did you conduct related to the alleged collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign so congressman as you know counsel for the FBI based on the special counsels equities has instructed me not to answer questions about the ongoing investigation asking for an ohm Russian attempts to agent agent struck I'm asking for a number I haven't gotten to the names how many people had you investigated as you interviewed between the beginning of Anor July 31st and August the 8th it's an eight day time period we're a weekend to an investigation how many people had you interviewed congressman I understand your question I appreciate it and I would very much like to answer but as I've stated as you know that counsel of the FBI based on the special counsels equities have directed me not to answer any questions about the ongoing investigation into Russian attempts to gentleman will suspend and the clock will suspend mr. struck you are under subpoena and are required to answer the question are you objecting to the question if so please state your objections the Chairman I object the gentleman it does not have standing to effect there is no order no point of order here the the point of order it should be heard almost at his point of order my point of order is that intentionally or otherwise this demand puts mr. struck in an impossible position he is still an employee of the FBI and FBI Council is elected him not to answer the question gentleman's we have a problem with this policy we should take it up with the FBI not badger mr. struck the gentleman's point of order is not well taken it's right on point no it's not the mr. struck are you objecting to the question and if so please state your objection mr. chairman two things one I do not believe I am here under subpoena I believe I'm here voluntarily second I will not based on direction of the FBI to me based on that I will not answer that question because it goes to matters which are related to the ongoing investigations being undertaken by the special mr. Strack you have not stated a valid legal basis for not responding to a question directed to you by member of the United States House of Representatives and you are overruled point of order mr. chairman your continued your testimony is essential to this hearing and to our oversight and information gathering functions with regards to the actions taken and decisions made by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2016 and 2017 I am specifically directing you to answer the question in response to our subpoena notwithstanding your objection point of order mr. chairman mr. struck please be advised that you can either comply with the committee's directive to answer the question or refuse to do so the latter of which will place you at risk of a contempt citation and potential criminal liability point of do I understand that point of order mr. chairman the question is directed to the witness and I have a point of order before he answers the question the point of order is not well taken until you don't know what the point of order is you can't say it's not well take the point of order the witness will answer the question mr. Chairman I have I raise my point of order and I insist on it what is the point of order the United States Attorney's manual instructs Department personnel not to respond to questions about the existence of an ongoing investigation or comment on its nature or progress in a letter to congressman John Linder in 2000 referred to as the Linda letter the department made this policy explicitly applicable to requests from Congress quote although Congress has a clearly legitimate interest in determining how the department enforces statutes congressional inquiries during the pendency of a matter posed an inherent threat to the integrity of the department's law enforcement and litigation functions unquestioned unquote therefore the Chairman the question being directed at the that the witness is out of order the witnesses to clinician to answer it as against the instructions of the FBI pursuant to FBI policy which is necessary so as not to allow us to subvert an ongoing criminal investigation he is right not answer the question gentlemen has not stated a valid order rule in the less the United States Supreme Court has recognized that it is unquestionably the duty of all citizens to cooperate with the Congress in its efforts to obtain the facts needed for intelligent legislative action it is their unremitting obligation to respect the dignity of the congress and its committees and to testify fully with respect to matters within the province of proper investigation mr. Chairman I I want mr. chairman you know or we all know that if we were to ask a question of a witness about a military secret if we were to ask him how does the h-bomb work he could not answer that question they did that is a classification issue not an issue of whether or not this is a valid question for which appeal the ruling of the chair he's ruled that it's not a point of order that is that is not a ruling mr. struck mr. Chairman I insist on my point of order and I insist on it sir struck healing the ruling of the chair mr. truck knowing the advice 1/4 mr. chairman point of order I believe there's a point of order that's been raised and you've ruled we have a right now to answer mr. Nadler it's not a valid point of order the Nightwind of order mr. chairman mr. struck mr. Chairman I appeal the ruling of the chair that you have just made on that on the on whether the you have not stated a valid point of order you are ruling and I appeal it that is not an appealable appealing the ruling of the chair is exactly what he's requesting he's appealing it that requires a vote either sustain it or overrule it the gentleman from New York has not cited a rule of the house that is being violated therefore it is not a point of order that's your ruling of the chair mr. chairman mr. chairman is it not appropriate to also interject the attorney-client privilege which cannot be overridden and is a rule of the house to the extent that a woman will have the right to an attorney client privilege in this house miss and that is what this witness is asserting that's turning right privileges and he has been Ives not as to answered the gentleman will suspend the gentleman has not raised the attorney-client privilege he has said that he's been instructed by the FBI not to answer the question now by lawyers he knows he knows the advice I have just given him if he would like I'll restate it but knowing this will you answer the committee's question as directed or do you refuse to answer the committee's question point of elementary in the ruling of the chair that mine of parliamentary it was not in order point of parliamentary inquiry mr. chairman the the the gentleman from South Carolina has the time a parliamentary inquiry is not in order during the gentleman's time the chair is instructing the witness to answer the question and the question to you is mr. chairman will you answer the committee's question as directed or do you refuse to answer the committee's question mr. Chairman I move to adjourn second you're not recognized for that purpose mr. Chairman I think you have no choice but to recognize such a motion I do not have are you just gonna make up rules as we go along the motion is not in order during the time controlled by the gentleman from South Carolina I appeal that ruling of the chair the mr. Strutt will you an appeal your ruling the chair that my motion to adjourn is not in order the gentleman is not in order that may be but I appeal your ruling the gentleman is not recognized knowing this will you answer the committee's question as directed or do you refuse to answer the committee's question mr. chairman as you know counsel for the FBI has directed me not to answer questions about the ongoing investigation as you also know counsel for the FBI is sitting here behind me may I consult with them you may consult with your own counsel no but I may not consult with the also only with your own counsel mr. chairman there's no basis for that he can so with the FBI counsel he's an FBI I'm generally it is not recognized and the Chairman is not being proper the Chairman is being proper the witness can't be directed not to confer with his attorney the FBI is not his attorney his attorney is seated behind him if he's an employee of the attorney I mean he's already done he may do so and his attorney may consult with the FBI attorney isn't the privilege that of the FBI and shouldn't the FBI counsel be solicited on that point mr. chairman my counsel has reiterated that counsel for the FBI has directed that I may not answer that question mr. struck in a moment we will continue with a hearing but based on your refusal to answer the question at the conclusion of the day we will be resetting the hearing and you will be subject to recall to allow the committee to consider proceeding with a contempt citation a point of order mr. chairman well the committee also consider contempt for mr. bannon who refused to answer mr. gaudi's questions when he was actually under subpoena that is not a proper point of order in this parliamentary inquiry sir doubted your parliamentary inquiry was controlled by the gentleman from our lumetri inquiry a parliamentary inquiry in South Carolina controls the time agents truck just so the records clear because there's been a little while I didn't ask you the content of those interviews I didn't ask you the names of who you interviewed I asked you whether or not you interviewed anyone from July 31st until August the 8th and I find it interesting that the FBI will tell us no interviews were conducted before July 31st that apparently doesn't impact an ongoing probe but between July 31st and August 8th it does here's the good news I already know the answer to I went looked at the file the first interview that I can find is on August the 11th of 2016 which is 11 days after it began which makes me wonder on August the 6th so you hadn't interviewed anyone you're investigating this alleged Russian collusion with the Trump campaign you're the lead investigator you originated the investigation you're the point of contact you drafted the document and here you are before you've interviewed a single solitary witness saying F Trump then that same day your colleague Lisa Paige wrote maybe you're meant to protect the country from that menace and you responded I can protect the country at many levels we're not even a week into an investigation that you originated approved where the contact for you hadn't interviewed a single solitary soul until August 11th and you're already promising to protect the country from that menace Donald Trump and then on August the 8th you still hadn't interviewed anyone you're eight days into your Russian collusion with the Trump campaign investigation and you got another text from your colleague Lisa Paige Trump's not ever going to become president right right and you replied no no he's not we'll stop it by the time you promise to stop him from becoming president on August the 8th how many interviews had you conducted mr. gowdy so two answers to that one with regard to how many interviews had or had not been conducted I've been directed by counsel for the FBI not to answer that question second sir I think it's important to take those texts in the context of how they were written and what they meant and there and someone may ask you that question agent strong but I didn't I asked you how many people you interviewed before you wrote it if you want to get into context let one of my other colleagues do that with you here's what I want to know who's the he and he's not he is then candidate Trump so when you said no Donald Trump's not in connection with a question going to become president what's the it cheering yelling stop it chairman Gowdy that text needs to be taken in the cutting look if you want to have a debate over a two letter word we're gonna have to do that some other time what and who did you mean by it mr. Gowdy as I've stated that text was written late at night in shorthand I don't care when it was written I don't care whether it was longhand cursive I don't care about any of that I want to know what it meant agent Scott it would be his candidacy for the presidency at the American would not vote him into office right right well we hadn't gotten to the will yet explain the American people is that right that's your testimony though we'll stop it you were speaking on behalf of the American people is that correct mr. Gowdy what my testimony is and what I said during extensive asking of this question during my prior interview is I don't recall writing that text well I can I'm running the text what I can tell you is that text in no way suggested that I are the FBI would take any action to influence the candidates there's a fantastic answer to a question nobody out mr. Gowdy us1 to you is the wheel be permitted to answer posed we look forward to that so your testimony his time is expired mr. chairman the overtimes two and a half minute weeks it's gonna be tough for me to get through it if I keep getting interrupt your testimony a couple of weeks ago was though we met the American people which I found confusing because on November of the seventh which is the day before the election you said this these you were concerned that those same American people that you were speaking on behalf of might actually elect Donald Trump president so you said oMG this is effing terrifying I think we know what effing means I'm pretty sure we have oMG down to what was terrifying about those same American people you trusted to stop him in August not stopping him in November what was so terrifying about that agent struck mr. gowdy I had do not have a copy of the transcript we have not been provided that transcript issue attacks it's not the transcript it's your text mr. Gowdy what I would say in that is one I was not referring to the American electorate at all the American electorate I respect in their decisions and their right to vote is absolutely a cornerstone of our democracy so at no time did i insult our calling the question the the judgment or the the power of the American electorate what I was expressing in that text is my personal belief and my personal sense of how I saw and what I believed in the potential upcoming emergency that that's what I find so confounding because in August you blame the we on the American people that the American people would stop it because you don't want it to be you at least you don't want it we have been we have indulged this harassment 9 minutes the gentlewoman the general will also spend the chair in agreement with the ranking members of both committees agreed that there would be liberality in the questioning by the chairman and the ranking members of each committee the gentleman will continue what I find concern liberality on every one of our questionings what I find confounding agents truck is you were counting on the American people that was the we you referenced in August when you said we'll stop it but the American people didn't stop it he actually won so then we go to March of 2017 and you're already talking along ingly about him resigning and then we go to the day that special council Muller well before we go to that that's March of 2017 March of 2016 you wrote God Hillary should win a hundred million to zero and I'm assuming Hillary would be former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton it's correct all right in March of 2016 we're not you investigating her for potential mishandling of classified information we were had you interviewed her yet no had you interviewed more than thirty other witnesses that wound up being interviewed I would have to check the case file but I'll take your representation that's well if she had said something incriminating and your interview that took place months later of her of her would she have 100 million to zero then likely not known well then why wouldn't you wait until the investigation was over before you have her the nominee and winning a general election against an opponent that hadn't even been named yet a hundred million to zero agent struck that's how bad she should win mr. gowdy those personal expressions of my observing the political process of the presidential primaries had no bearing on my actions of any investigation to include the investigation of Secretary Clinton you couldn't thank or anybody else sir could I think of a single person that would not vote for Hillary Clinton for president 100 million to zero so it was clearly hyperbole which well let's say it was hyperbole let's divide it by 10 how about we say it was hyperbolic and divide it by 10 100 million divided by 10 I'm pretty sure it's 10 million 0 divided by 10 it's still 0 you couldn't think of a single solitary person that was going to vote for her for president before you interviewed her and while you were supposed to be investigating her congressmen clearly that's not the truth clearly I could envision millions of Americans who are likely in did vote for well you wrote it my point sir did you write it did you write that I did write that sir okay where you want to direct little expression engaging in hyperbole where you under duress asked and answered over and over again the gentlewoman will suspend the general from South Carolina controls the time all right we're gonna go into one other time period may 17th 2017 Bob Moeller is appointed your friend Jim Comey's been fired he's already leaked the memo to his wall professor friend and Mulder of special counsel do you remember how long it took for you to start talking about impeachment after bob muller was appointed i don't sir one day one day and you were talking about impeachment and for anyone who may have missed it the day after his appointment agents struck you did it again five days later now how many interviews had you done as part of the Special Counsel team within the first five days of his appointment sir again same answers before I can't get into details right and the answer is also the same it's zero no interviews have been done I don't know if that's true or not no interviews had been done by August the 8th when you're talking about stopping him and how terrifying it would be for him to win and how you can protect the country and no interviews have been done before you're talking about impeachment of the president you know whatever Bob Mulder kicked you off of the investigation agent strut my question is if you were kicked off when he read the text shouldn't you have been kicked off when you wrote him not at all well it wasn't the discovery of your text mr. Strock it was the existence of your bias that got you kicked off no mr. Gowdy it wasn't I do not have bias my personal opinions in no way well then why why did you get kicked off mr. Gowdy my understanding why I was kicked off was that base understanding of those texts and the perception that they might create well Hank that you know the circular block you're saying it was the perception there 13 Democrats on the Special Counsel probe including one who went to what he hope was a victory party that's a perception problem - they weren't kicked off you were why were you kicked off mr. Gowdy I cannot speak to Special Counsel why he did how long did you talk to him when he let you go I've he win this answer the question my recollection is was a short meeting somewhere between 15 to 30 minutes probably around 15 minutes and your testimony is Bob Mahler did not kick you off because of the content of your text he kicked you all because of some of appearance that he was worried about my testimony what you asked and what I responded to was that he kicked me off because of my bias I'm stating to you it is not my understanding that he kicked me off because of any bias that it was done based on the appearance if you want to represent what she said accurately I'm happy to answer that question but I don't appreciate what was originally said being changed I don't give a damn what you appreciate agent struck I don't appreciate having an FBI agent with an unprecedented level of animus working on two major investigations during 2016 the chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland mr. Cummings mr. chairman can I respond to the questions that you promised him you would have an opportunity to answer the enjoyed minutes of badgering of the witness can he be allowed now to answer as you promised mr. chairman gentleman will suspend the witness at any time can ask for additional time to respond to any members question if but the time has been and if you were gonna give him that opportunity at the I am giving him that opportunity mr. chairman may I respond - yes you may yes sir guys so I think it's important when you look at those texts that you understand the context in which they were made and the things that were going on across America in terms of the text that we will stop it you need to understand that that was written late at night off-the-cuff and it was in response to a series of events that included then-candidate Trump insulting the immigrant family of a fallen war hero and my presumption based on that disgusting behavior that the American population would not elect somebody demonstrating that behavior to be present in the United States 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 as to the hundred million to one that was clearly a statement made in jest and using hyperbole I of course recognized that millions of Americans were likely to vote for candidate Trump I acknowledge that is absolutely their right that is what makes our democracy such a vibrant process that it is but to suggest somehow that we can parse down the words of shorthand textual conversations like there's some contract for a car is is simply not consistent with Meyer most people's use of text messaging I can assure you mr. chairman at no time in any of these texts did those personal beliefs ever enter into the realm of any action I took furthermore this isn't just me sitting here telling you you don't have to take my word for it at every step at every investigative decision there are multiple layers of people above me the assistant director executive assistant director deputy director and director of the FBI and multiple layers of people below me section Chiefs supervisors unit Chiefs case agents and analysts all of whom were involved in all of these decisions they would not tolerate any improper behavior in me any more than I would tolerate it in them that is who we are as the FBI in the suggestion that I and 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 and the proposition that that is going on that it might occur anywhere in the FBI deeply corrodes what the FBI is an American society the effectiveness of their mission and it is deeply destructive they ship them mr. Chairman I have a motion I have a rule

Channel: C-SPAN

Views: 5,760,118

Rating: 4.6908216 out of 5

Keywords: Peter Strzok, Trey Gowdy, C-SPAN, CSPAN, House of Representatives, Robert Mueller, Clinton Email Investigation

Id: ANohtXQhkQw

Length: 28min 15sec (1695 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 12 2018

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[u/Saambat]

Good lord it's like a bunch of young boys posturing with perceived power. Great entertainment, but a sad state of American politics and democracy in general.