New evidence released Thursday shows that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), closed its criminal counterintelligence investigation of retired Gen. Mike Flynn on January 4, 2017, only to have it reopened by Peter Strzok.
“The goal of the investigation was to determine whether [Flynn], associated with the Trump campaign, was directed and controlled by and/or coordinated activities with the Russian Federation in a manner which is a threat to the national security and/or possibly a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act,†the FBI memorandum formally closing its investigation of Flynn stated. “Following the initiation of captioned case, the [Crossfire Hurricane] team conducted a check of logical databases for any derogatory information on [Flynn].â€
“No derogatory information was identified in FBI holdings,†the memo stated.
According to the FBI document, the federal law enforcement agency also asked a redacted agency, likely the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), to conduct a similar search of its own records for derogatory information against Flynn, who at the the time was the incoming National Security Adviser for then-President-elect Donald Trump.
“No derogatory information was reported back to the FBI,†the memo concluded.
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Text messages included in the latest court filings in Flynn’s ongoing criminal case show that Peter Strzok, who was fired from the FBI for misconduct, ordered an unnamed associate managing the investigation to not close the Flynn investigation, notwithstanding the fact that the FBI concluded there was no legal or factual basis to continue its investigation of Flynn.
“Hey if you haven’t closed RAZOR, don’t do so yet,†Strzok texted at 2:14 p.m. on January 4, 2017.
“Razor still open,†Strzok immediately texted to Lisa Page, a former assistant to fired former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe. Strzok and Page reportedly had an adulterous affair that was captured by their text messages to each other.
The redaction is likely a reference to Pientka, who took the original notes during the Flynn interview.
https://thefederalist.com/2020/04/30/breaking-fbi-closed-flynn-case-dubbed-crossfire-razor-in-early-2017-until-strzok-ordered-it-to-stay-open/
