Strzok expresses measured regret for the texts in “Compromised: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump’s attacks have continued even as two inspector general reports found no evidence Strzok’s work in the investigations were tainted by political bias and multiple probes have affirmed the Russia probe’s validity.

His anti-Trump texts on a government phone to an FBI lawyer gave Trump and his supporters a major opening to undercut the bureau’s credibility right as it was conducting one of the most consequential investigations in its history. But even among Trump critics, Strzok isn’t a hero. The texts cost Strzok his job and drew vitriol from Trump. “There’s no way around it.” A new book by Strzok traces his arc from veteran counterintelligence agent to the man who came to embody Trump’s public scorn of FBI and his characterization of its Russia investigation as a “witch hunt.” “Being subjected to outrageous attacks up to and including by the president himself, which are full of lies and mischaracterisations and just crude and cruel, is horrible,” Strzok told The Associated Press in an interview. FBI security experts advised him of best practices - walk around your car before entering, watch for unfamiliar vehicles in your neighbourhood - more commonly associated with mob targets looking to elude detection. There were menacing phone calls and messages from strangers, and anxious peeks out window shades before his family would leave the house. Peter Strzok spent his FBI career hunting Russian and Chinese spies, but after news broke of derogatory text messages he had sent about President Donald Trump, he came to feel like he was the one being hunted.

Compromised strzok