Trump to be questioned in Strzok, Page FBI employee lawsuits
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Former President Trump is scheduled to face questioning under oath Tuesday tied to lawsuits from two former FBI employees whom he has railed against after they sent negative text messages about him amid an investigation of his ties to Russia in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
The text messages between ex-FBI employees Peter Strzok and Lisa Page detailing their personal dislike of Trump have taken center stage to some of Trump’s most lambastic comments, particularly during campaign rallies. The texts raised concern that the agency’s investigation was biased against Trump.
The scandal, which drew congressional scrutiny and Trump’s ire, resulted in Page resigning from the agency and Strzok being fired. Strzok later sued the Justice Department for wrongful termination, while Page sued for violation of privacy.
The Justice Department attempted to block Trump from being deposed as part of the lawsuits, arguing testimony by FBI Director Christopher Wray and former Trump chief of staff John Kelly made Trump’s questioning unnecessary.
“Only the most extraordinary of circumstances would justify allowing a plaintiff to depose a former high-level official about actions he took in the course of his official duties. This case falls far short of that standard,” DOJ attorneys argued in their appeal.
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But an appeals court sided with the federal judge who declined to shield Trump from questioning.
Trump’s two-hour deposition is expected to take place in New York, where his civil fraud trial is also underway. The former president is attending the third week of that trial in person, though it is not a requirement for him to be present.
Trump’s attendance was expected to coincide with the testimony of ex-Trump lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen, who is a star witness in the New York attorney general’s case. However, Cohen’s testimony was rescheduled after he indicated a “pre-existing medical condition” would impede his ability to testify this week.
“I’m not bowing out. I’m not nervous to testify. I’m not being paid off. I have a medical issue that I need to attend to. It’s as simple as that,” Cohen wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.
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The New York attorney general’s office sued Trump, his business and his two adult sons — Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump — last year alleging more than a decade of fraud.
Trump’s deposition in the former FBI employees’ lawsuits is the latest example of his many legal woes beginning to collide. The former president faces a combined 91 counts across four criminal cases, plus several civil cases.
Those cases are expected to go to trial next year, while Trump continues his bid for the White House as the GOP presidential primary front-runner.
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