Thread by @politiCOHEN_

hello from today’s peter strzok hearing, where my claustrophobic self is jammed with all other members of press

also i can’t wait to torture the back of @DelWilber all hearing

PETER STRZOK: "I have the utmost respect for Congress's oversight role, but I truly believe that today's hearing is just another victory notch in Putin's belt and another milestone in our enemies' campaign to tear America apart." washingtonexaminer.com/news/peter-str…

elijah cummings, who says republicans are holding these hearings to discount robert mueller, brought props!

aaaand peter strzok was just sworn in, roughly 50 minutes after the hearing began.

it’s going to be a long day.

!!! STRZOK: in summer 2016, i was one of the few people on the russia investigation who had information that had "the potential to derail, and quite possibly, defeat Mr. Trump. but the thought of exposing that information never crossed my mind."

MORE STRZOK: "This investigation is not politically motivated, it is not a witch hunt, it is not a hoax."

IT’S QUESTION TIME.

GOWDY is up first, with a 5 minute limit.

GOWDY asks STRZOK how many people he interviewed during a week period in 2016 at the beginning of the russia investigation, but STRZOK says he cannot answer any questions related to ongoing russia investigation “based on direction of the FBI"

members now fighting over procedure, it is getting testy in here.

this is not going to reflect well on congress.

CICILLINE barks at GOODLATTE: "Are you just going to make up rules as you go along?"

strzok again says he wants to confer with FBI counsel on the answer, who tells him not to answer question.

goodlatte says he can confer with his own counsel, and dems shout about unfairness.

strzok says his counsel was told by FBI counsel not to answer the question.

ranking member NADLER:"The Chairman is not being proper”
chairman GOODLATTE: "The Chairman is being proper"

*popcorn emojis*

after goodlatte said he will move to hold peter strzok in contempt end of day, it was swalwell who asked: “will the committee also consider contempt for mr. bannon who refused to answer mr. wowdy’s questions when he was actually under subpoena?"

the committees are now having a vote on whether to table a motion from rep. swallwell to hold steve bannon - who defied a house subpoena months ago - in contempt. this hearing is 🔥

a live look at this peter strzok hearing

i would like to note that we are 90 minutes into the peter strzok hearing and only one question has been asked.

CUMMINGS says a republican member asked questions to strzok last month behind closed doors in an attempt to endanger confidential FBI sources

GOODLATTE asking STRZOK to describe what “trump support” smells like

a lovely reminder to never, ever text.

STRZOK on why he was removed from MUELLER probe: “he mentioned the existence of the text messages, and based on that, he needed to ask me to return to the FBI. based on the appearance of the text messages, and his desire to” avoid the appearance of potential bias

STRZOK: "Those text messages are not indicative of bias."

IG: "these text messages led us to conclude that we didnot have confidence that Strzok’s decision was free from bias."

!!! @RepCicilline says may unilaterally release the transcript of peter strzok’s closed-door interview (happened last month) because he is not aware of any house rules that would prevent him from doing so

and the peter strzok hearing just adjourned for a full hour.

THANK YOU i am SO HUNGRY

MEANWHILE- an agreement has been reached for lisa page to give a closed-door transcribed interview to house judiciary/ oversight tomorrow afternoon (1:30pm) and again on monday washingtonexaminer.com/news/ex-fbi-at…

WE’RE BACK…

and rep. issa is having STRZOK read his text messages to PAGE out loud.

have a drink if you thought the jack nicholson’s “a few good men” would be brought up in today’s strzok hearing.

gowdy again wants strzok to tell him how many interviews were done in the week after the launch of the russia probe (july 31, 2016)

STRZOK: “i do not recall, i need to check the case file. "
GOWDY: “we waited all that time for that answer?"
STRZOK: yes sir.

GOWDY says first russia interview was done august 11, 2016, and STRZOK says none were done before july 31, 2016.

GOMHERT went there: “i can't help wonder when i see you looking there with a little smirk how many times did you look so innocent into your wife's eye and lie to her."

democrats yell, committee is in chaos, one member tells gomhert: “you need your medication!"

STRZOK replies: "I have always told the truth. the fact that you would accuse me otherwise, the fact that you would question whether or not that was the sort of look i would engage with in a family member- goes more or the a discussion about your character and what you stand for"

.@GerryConnolly brought the receipts to today's hearing! he read a handful of anti-trump quotes and asked STRZOK if he said them, and when STRZOK said no, he named the republican lawmaker who said/wrote it.

JORDAN presses STRZOK on how the steele dossier got to the FBI

STRZOK says he can now answer on documents received by FBI: “not me. the FBI received documents and material from mr. ohr.”

bruce ohr was married to nellie ohr, who worked for fusion GPS, who commissioned dossier.

we’re in a second break for votes, and i think we have about 40 members or so left to ask questions, provided they all show up.

we just passed the 7 hour mark.

andddddd we are back.

“the FBI, in mid september” 2016 got information from bruce ohr that did include information material that originated from the steele dossier, says STRZOK

republicans are now ending their time without a question, and thus goodlatte says strzok cannot respond.

jackson lee just gave closing remarks, and now goodlatte is giving his closing remarks.

“it has been extraordinarily frustrating” he says in STRZOK’s refusal to answer questions based on FBI’s direction

“this is not over and you and future witnesses are on notice” to give “fulsome” answers in future testimony, says GOODLATTE

and after 10 hours, the peter strzok hearing is over. here’s my wrap, with more TK: washingtonexaminer.com/news/peter-str…

don’t forget, lisa page is here tomorrow at 130pm for a closed-door interview.