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The FBI agent Peter Strzok has been terminated from FBI after helping in leading the investigation of the agency into Russian election interference. His lawyer said that he was found in sending anti-Donald Trump test messages. The lawyer of Strzok, Aitan Goelman said in a statement that the firing had been ordered on Friday by the Deputy Director of FBI, David Bowdich in spite of the director of the office in charge of employee discipline deciding that Strzok should face a demotion and a 60-day suspension. Goelman blamed that the decision of termination was taken in response to political pressure. The decision to fire Special Agent Strzok is not only a departure from typical Bureau practice but also contradicts Director Wray’s testimony to Congress and his assurances that the FBI intended to follow its regular process in this and all personnel matters.

22-years old Strzok is a veteran of the department and he had exchanged anti-Trump texts with FBI lawyer Lisa Page, with whom he had an affair, during the 2016 presidential campaign. His Page no longer works for the FBI. Both worked on the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email server while secretary of state, and also on special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The veteran agent had been respected in the bureau, but when a Justice Department inspector general investigation uncovered the politically charged messages, he was relegated to a position in human resources. The texts had started in August 2016, around a week into the Russia probe. The details of that report were released later when Mueller became aware of the texts removed by Strzok.