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sunonmars

(8,656 posts)
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 04:18 PM Aug 2017

A top FBI investigator has unexpectedly stepped away from special counsel Mueller's Russia probe

http://uk.businessinsider.com/top-fbi-investigator-peter-strzok-steps-away-from-russia-probe-2017-8?r=US&IR=T

A highly experienced FBI investigator and former army officer hired by special counsel Robert Mueller to examine Russia's interference in the 2016 election has unexpectedly stepped away from the probe, ABC News reported on Wednesday.

Peter Strzok, a veteran counterintelligence investigator, is now working for the FBI's human resources division, according to ABC. It is unclear why he stepped aside, or if he did so voluntarily.

Asha Rangappa, a former FBI counterintelligence agent and associate dean at Yale Law School, said that she had "never heard of an agent being moved to the human resources department."

"I have seen instances where if some issue comes up, the agent might be moved to another investigation or to the operations center, where you essentially field calls all day," Rangappa said. "But why he would be moved to HR is just bizarre."

Rangappa did not want to speculate on what may have happened in Strzok's case, but said there were many factors — ranging from small administrative violations to more significant incidents — that could raise questions about an agent's ability to stay on a case.

..............

I suspect Mueller found a mole.......
33 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A top FBI investigator has unexpectedly stepped away from special counsel Mueller's Russia probe (Original Post) sunonmars Aug 2017 OP
Hmm---Trump insider? Kingofalldems Aug 2017 #1
Or Putin? Greybnk48 Aug 2017 #5
Interesting Strzok helped oversee the FBI's investigation into Clinton's email server last year... sunonmars Aug 2017 #2
Just guessing . . . . he was "fired" by Mueller. Stinky The Clown Aug 2017 #3
If he was a mole for Trump then this applies Dread Pirate Roberts Aug 2017 #4
Lol. BootinUp Aug 2017 #13
Meh, could also be something innocuous Lee-Lee Aug 2017 #6
Could it be that Mueller sent this agent to HR to look through the files for other TheDebbieDee Aug 2017 #7
No. If that were the case, he'd remain on Mueller's team marylandblue Aug 2017 #11
Who's in charge of the FBI now? ananda Aug 2017 #8
When was Wray confirmed? I thought McCabe was still acting director. nt tblue37 Aug 2017 #27
Wray was confirmed on August 1st. ananda Aug 2017 #28
Wow. How did I miss that? Maybe because of all the disastrous news we are tblue37 Aug 2017 #31
or a leak? barbtries Aug 2017 #9
If subpeona rumor proves true, then Camp David Achilleaze Aug 2017 #15
i don't get the reference to Camp David? barbtries Aug 2017 #17
Just once so far. He thought it was dump. But...this Friday Achilleaze Aug 2017 #19
okay, i had not heard that news barbtries Aug 2017 #25
And Pence canceled the rest of his trip to go ... KelleyKramer Aug 2017 #32
ooh barbtries Aug 2017 #33
Oh...I hadn't considered the mole angle Generic Other Aug 2017 #10
If... Mike Nelson Aug 2017 #12
But if he is a mole why would they assign him to Human Resources where he can Maraya1969 Aug 2017 #14
Most of what HR does has NOTHING to do with hiring Bernardo de La Paz Aug 2017 #23
My first thought was ties to someone or something in case adigal Aug 2017 #16
Strzok oversaw the Hillary Clinton email investigation dalton99a Aug 2017 #18
That same article canetoad Aug 2017 #22
Wonder if he is related to the NYC FBI office? dhol82 Aug 2017 #20
In HR he keeps his job, his pension, and his mouth shut for the time being. Ford_Prefect Aug 2017 #21
If he were a mole, he would've been fired. It could be something as simpl as not putting in the time Honeycombe8 Aug 2017 #24
Update: details from Natasha Bertrand at BI sharedvalues Aug 2017 #26
Yep. Trump spy on the inside. kentuck Aug 2017 #29
it looks like he may have been pushing the Hillary email hoax bigtree Aug 2017 #30

Stinky The Clown

(67,669 posts)
3. Just guessing . . . . he was "fired" by Mueller.
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 04:23 PM
Aug 2017

I get the sense Mueller will not tolerate ANY bullshit from his staff.

 

Lee-Lee

(6,324 posts)
6. Meh, could also be something innocuous
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 04:27 PM
Aug 2017

Moves like that also can happen when something comes up with someone's personal life that would make working on a high profile post like that difficult. For example I've seen people moved to low stress/workload positions like recruiting when a spouse was diagnosed with an illness like cancer.

 

TheDebbieDee

(11,119 posts)
7. Could it be that Mueller sent this agent to HR to look through the files for other
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 04:36 PM
Aug 2017

undesirables/conflicted agents hired by the DOJ over the years?

ananda

(28,781 posts)
8. Who's in charge of the FBI now?
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 04:40 PM
Aug 2017

Christopher Wray, known Russian connections, known connections
with dirty money.

Nuff said.

tblue37

(64,979 posts)
31. Wow. How did I miss that? Maybe because of all the disastrous news we are
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 08:36 PM
Aug 2017

drowning in with this kleptocratic administration.

barbtries

(28,702 posts)
9. or a leak?
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 04:42 PM
Aug 2017

i read today that trump was served a subpoena, but could not find what i consider a credible source to back that up. the source given (this was on twitter) was ir.net and i can't rely on that source alone. but if true, it would go a little way to explain trump's performance yesterday.

Achilleaze

(15,543 posts)
15. If subpeona rumor proves true, then Camp David
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 05:55 PM
Aug 2017

looms BIGLY in the cesspool of treason, corruption, and lies that is the republican Administration & Congress.

Achilleaze

(15,543 posts)
19. Just once so far. He thought it was dump. But...this Friday
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 06:01 PM
Aug 2017

there's a hastily-called emergency bigly meeting there of all the republican TreasonWeasels. More to come....

KelleyKramer

(8,843 posts)
32. And Pence canceled the rest of his trip to go ...
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 08:48 PM
Aug 2017

To the camp David meeting

Something is definitely up

barbtries

(28,702 posts)
33. ooh
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 09:15 PM
Aug 2017

i've been haunting twitter all day long and didn't hear any of this!

i wonder if they'll talk him into quitting. that would be a good start. yeah i wish.

so Scott Dworkin did tweet earlier to check his twitter feed at 7:30 and forgot til just right now. will go do that.

Generic Other

(28,979 posts)
10. Oh...I hadn't considered the mole angle
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 04:42 PM
Aug 2017

Except not much leaking seems to be emanating our way from Mueller. You think Trump is getting insider info? I think the new FBI head might be trying to disband it. Just a strange turn of events.

Mike Nelson

(9,903 posts)
12. If...
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 04:45 PM
Aug 2017

...the person was cozy with Trump or Putin, HR is the last place you'd transfer the person. Unless, of course, the job requires no input on hiring.

Maraya1969

(22,441 posts)
14. But if he is a mole why would they assign him to Human Resources where he can
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 05:05 PM
Aug 2017

hire others like him.

Is it possible he is there to make sure other hires are not Nazis. Some infiltrated the FBI before.

If he were found out to be a hole I would think they would fire him

Bernardo de La Paz

(48,775 posts)
23. Most of what HR does has NOTHING to do with hiring
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 07:07 PM
Aug 2017

Perhaps he is tasked with checking workplace injury insurance claims.

 

adigal

(7,581 posts)
16. My first thought was ties to someone or something in case
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 05:57 PM
Aug 2017

Maybe something they just unearthed, like he has a cousin they just discovered was involved, or maybe he just came across evidence already there that inolved someone he knows.
Can be totally innocent.

canetoad

(17,088 posts)
22. That same article
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 06:43 PM
Aug 2017

Dated Thursday July 13 says he has been brought into the investigation.

Only lasted little more than a month?

dhol82

(9,351 posts)
20. Wonder if he is related to the NYC FBI office?
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 06:25 PM
Aug 2017

That was the group that fed info to Giuliani that was then funneled to Trumpco.
Still waiting for that group to be investigated.

Ford_Prefect

(7,817 posts)
21. In HR he keeps his job, his pension, and his mouth shut for the time being.
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 06:35 PM
Aug 2017

My bet is he was "compromised" by someone inside DOJ or the administration to the effect that it could appear that he is not trustworthy. Someone he used to work with, or report to, or who worked for him is my bet. He'd have been fired outright if it was a straight forward leak or direct compromise of the investigation and would likely face immediate prosecution.

The only other reason for his departure would some kind of difference in point of view or tactics with Mueller.

Strzok was farmed out to HR to make sure that what he knows is still bound by his oath as a federal employee and a witness in an ongoing investigation. That way he can't speak openly to Congress or anyone else without specific permission from FBI and DOJ.

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
24. If he were a mole, he would've been fired. It could be something as simpl as not putting in the time
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 07:12 PM
Aug 2017

I imagine things are very intense by this time, requiring long tedious hours, day after day. It could be something as simple as he didn't want to put in all those really long hours for months on end...could be family issues, or his own health issues.

A health issue might land you in HR. A position with regular working hours.

sharedvalues

(6,916 posts)
26. Update: details from Natasha Bertrand at BI
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 07:23 PM
Aug 2017
Interesting — Strzok helped oversee the FBI's investigation into Clinton's email server last year, per ABC
Strzok "worked on some of the most secretive investigations in recent years involving Russian and Chinese espionage"
An agent who worked with Pete Strzok told me his move to HR means he's been taken off counterintel work entirely
The agent said that the FBI sometimes parks people in HR when it needs to move them away from substantive issues very quickly.

A couple possibilities were raised in my convos with him and others.

1) Strzok got caught up in OIG's investigation of FBI's Clinton probe

2) Strzok was the one who leaked the news of the FBI's raid on Paul Manafort's home to the Washington Post

3) Chris Wray is cleaning house



















bigtree

(85,915 posts)
30. it looks like he may have been pushing the Hillary email hoax
Wed Aug 16, 2017, 08:30 PM
Aug 2017

...and got himself sidelined by Mueller.

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