July 26 (UPI) — The Justice Department on Friday settled a lawsuit with former FBI agent Peter Strzok, who was fired from the bureau in 2018 over what he claimed was a violation of his privacy.
Strzok, an FBI veteran who aided in the investigation of possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, was fired over text messages he exchanged with former FBI attorney Lisa Page disparaging former President Donald Trump.
His lawyers on Friday said the U.S. government agreed to pay Strzok $1.2 million.
Strzok sued the FBI and Justice Department in 2019 alleging they unlawfully disclosed his private text messages.
When the texts came to light, FBI special counsel Robert Mueller removed Strzok from the special counsel’s office to a lower-level human resources position before his eventual firing.
“The FBI fired Special Agent Strzok because of his protected political speech in violation of his rights under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States,” the lawsuit argued.
In his texts, Strzok said he was “scared for our organization” if Trump were to take office. As president, Trump repeatedly criticized the FBI, including its director Christopher Wray, whom he appointed.
Trump and other Republicans have since seized on the texts in an effort to discredit the investigation. The former president has made Strzok a frequent target on social media while denouncing the Russia investigation as a “witch hunt.”
Strzok still has an ongoing lawsuit with the Justice Department on two other counts, claiming that the department also violated his constitutional rights and that his firing was politically motivated.
He is seeking to be reinstated to the FBI so he can retire with full benefits.
Page, who left the bureau in 2018, also settled a lawsuit with Justice Department alleging it violated her privacy. Her lawyer did not disclose the amount she was awarded, but said it was less than Strzok’s payout.
Former FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe were also fired after Trump took office.
The Justice Department in 2021 settled a lawsuit from McCabe alleging he was fired for political reasons. The department reinstated McCabe so he could retire with full benefits and collect about $200,000 in missed pension payments.