(CBS NEWS) – FBI official Peter Strzok is trying to publicly defend his actions during investigations of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election as he testifies before a joint hearing before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees on Thursday . Testimony has been slowed by bitter partisan arguments among the members on the panels. At one point, after just one member had questioned Strzok, the panel voted on whether to subpoena former White House strategist Steve Bannon. Strzok’s anti-Trump text messages fueled suspicions of partisan bias over the course of the 2016 election and Hillary Clinton email investigation. Congressional investigators are continuing to probe the Department of Justice and FBI after an internal inspector general report criticized leadership at the top levels during the Clinton investigation. While the report ultimately found political bias did not affect the final conclusion of the investigation, it raised serious questions about the FBI’s integrity during the contentious election. In revelations from the report, Strzok exchanged troubling communications with a fellow FBI colleague Lisa Page in which he appeared adamant that they would “stop” then-candidate Trump from ever becoming president. Page and Strzok both worked on the FBI investigation into Clinton’s emails and, later, on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.Strzok faced aggressive questioning from Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, on this point. Strzok told the panels today that he “doesn’t recall” writing the text, saying that it was an off-the-cuff message written late at night, and it did not suggest that he or the FBI would take any action to intervene in election. He also said that he wrote the text in response to Mr. Trump’s comments about a Gold Star family. During the campaign, Mr. Trump had disparaged Khizr Khan after he delivered an emotional indictment of the then-GOP nominee at the Democratic convention. “If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably, maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say,” he speculated to ABC News about Ghazala Khan, who had stood on the stage next to her husband. The Khans’ son was killed in the Iraq War in 2004. The texts, in addition to previously released exchanges, have since given ammunition to the claim from conservatives that Strzok and others in the FBI were actively working against Mr. Trump. Deputy Assistant FBI Director Peter Strzok testifies before a joint committee hearing of the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill July 12, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Follow along for live updates of Thursday’s hearing to begin streaming at 10:00 am : Strzok says he “did not” advise Mueller about relationship with Page Strzok, pressed by Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia, said he “did not” advise Mueller about his relationship with Lisa Page. Strzok said he did not find the information relevant. Strzok says FBI is generally “conservative” Strzok, pressed about the political views of fellow FBI agents, said he didn’t generally know the specific political beliefs of fellow FBI agents. But typically, people in the FBI are “conservative,” he said. Strzok made the comments in response to questions from Wisconsin’s Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman, who appeared to be pressing Strzok to say most of his colleagues are liberal. Generally, Strzok said, FBI agents in the D.C. office are “strongly conservative, strongly law and order, strongly national defense.” Strzok: “I am deeply regretful of those texts” Strzok said that he is “deeply regretful” of sending the anti-Trump texts to his colleague, but said that he did so with an expectation of privacy. “I had no idea that this was going to happen ,” he said, adding that he would not have done so otherwise. Still, Strzok said he doesn’t think his text messages are indicative of bias. Strzok says the FBI received documents from Bruce Ohr Rep. Jordan asked Strzok if he received any documents from Bruce Ohr. Strzok hesitated, checked with his counsel, and was then authorized to say: “not me, the FBI received documents and material from Mr. Ohr.” The session then paused for a recess so the congressmen present could go to votes on the House floor. Rep. DeSantis says he doesn’t think Strzok’s answers have been credible “The idea that there’s no bias here– I don’t think your explanations have been credible,” Rep. DeSantis said to Strzok. He later asked Strzok about the funding of the Steele Dossier, which the FBI has directed Strzok may not answer at this time. Time yielded to Chairman Gowdy Rep. Virginia Foxx yielded her time to Chairman Gowdy, who asked Strzok about his mention of impeachment on the day the special counsel was appointed. “My concern was not knowing, given these allegations, what existed,” Strzok said. “Whether on the one hand, there was no criminal activity whatsoever… or on the far end that there might be an impeachable offense.” Rep. Gohmert asks Strzok about his wife Rep. Louie Gohmert asked Strzok how many times he’s “looked into his wife’s eyes” and lied to her, as Gohmert claims Strzok has lied to the joint committee. The remark is a jab at Strzok’s affair with his former colleague Lisa Page. Those present at the hearing burst into an uproar and one representative suggested that the Gohmert “needs his medication” for the “inappropriate” question before order was called. Rep. Cohen says this hearing is just a distraction “If I could give you a purple heart, I would,” Rep. Steve Cohen said, calling the hearing an “attack” on Strzok. Cohen criticized the hearing as a distraction from Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and a way to discredit Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. “It’s astonishing to me that you would be put on trial as you have today,” Cohen said, praising Strzok’s work in security. House moves to recess for 1 hour Members are taking a 1 hour recess from the hearing for votes and will reconvene at 2:00 pm. Strzok reiterates “sincere regret” for texts While Strzok says he doesn’t agree with lawmakers’ characterization that his views were bias, the sentiment in his text messages “were not intended as direct animus as any set of people.” “I do sincerely regret that,” he said. Strzok said every day he walked in the door at the FBI, “the entirety of my action was dedicated to pursuing the facts wherever they lie.” He added that it would not have been necessary or required to recuse himself from any investigation. Democrats demand release of transcript of Strzok’s closed-door testimony Democratic members are urging Chairman Goodlatte to release the transcript of Strzok’s previous 11-hour long testimony offered to members behind closed doors out of transparency, citing that portions of the transcript have been leaked to the press. Goodlatte has vehemently denied such a request saying the request is disrupting the process of the hearing. Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island says that despite Goodlatte’s denial, he may move to unilaterally release the transcript citing no House rule dictating against its release. He set a deadline of 5:00 PM today to be given a reason not to. Goodlatte presses Strzok on his removal from special counsel probe Strzok tells Chairman Goodlatte that he never felt it necessary to recuse himself from the Russia probe over his personal beliefs. He told lawmakers that it was his impression that his removal was based on the desire to avoid any appearance of potential bias. Strzok, however, was adamant that his text messages were “not indicative of bias.” “I did not think that bias was exprsed in those text messages,” he added. Strzok said that it was impossible to say that “people must not have political opinion, everyone does, of course they do, the test is if that is left behind when they do their job.” Goodlatte asks for clarification on Trump supporter texts Goodlatte, referencing another well-known text exchange: “What does Trump support smell like?” Strzok says he was “struck by the extraordinary difference in the expression of political opinion” between voters in northern and southern VA; he called the text “flippant” “Do you understand the implications of this text when my constituents in Virginia read it?” Goodlatte asked. Strzok replied: “I do, sir. I would ask you to tell them that was, in some cases, a certainly unfortunate use of words.” Strzok says “no room for personal belief” at FBI “There’s no room for personal belief. It’s something culturally that doesn’t occur,” Strzok tells lawmakers, saying that there are numerous procedures and guidelines in place at the FBI to stop such instances of agents who are acting in any way other than an official capacity. “When I tell you that I personally what I believe and what I did, I understand why people may have doubts. But look at the entirety of the rest of the organization of all the things that are in place,” he added. House disrupts hearing to vote on Bannon subpeona The House broke questioning to hold a 5 minute long vote to table a motion made by Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California to subpoena former Trump aide Steve Bannon over his refusal to answer lawmaker’s questions, similar to threats Strzok received during Thursday’s hearing. The motion, after a lengthy back and forth, was tabled. Strzok says he “doesn’t recall” writing text suggesting he’d stop Trump Strzok says a text message suggesting that he would stop then-candidate Trump from being president was written late at night, and “in no way suggested that I or the FBI would take any action” to intervene in Trump’s election. He said he also didn’t recall writing it but that it was off the cuff and based on Mr. Trump’s comments about the Khan family and needs to be understood in the context of the political climate at the time. “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,” Strzok sternly told lawmakers. He added, “at no time, in any of those texts, did those personal beliefs enter into the realm of any action I took.” A round of applause is heard in the hearing chamber as Strzok’s impassioned defense of his actions ends. Gowdy’s fiery exchange with Strzok Watch Gowdy’s entire exchange with Strzok, which took up the majority of time at the very start of Thursday’s hearing. Members break into argument over Strzok’s refusal to answer question Strzok objects to questions related to Russian interference as Gowdy continues to press the agent on specifics on the FBI’s probe into possible collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign. “I understand your question and would like to answer. As you know, the counsel of the FBI have directed me not to answer any questions about any questions about ongoing investigations,” Strzok replies. Chairman Goodlatte and Nadler then broke out into a sparring match over points of order of the hearing and the agent’s refusal to answer the question. (© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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FBI’s Strzok On Capitol Hill: I ‘Sincerely Regret’ Anti-Trump Texts
