Judge rules Peter Strzok can question Trump in FBI firing lawsuit.

Former President Donald Trump to Sit for Deposition in Civil Suit

Former President⁤ Donald Trump will need​ to sit for a deposition in a civil suit brought‌ by former⁢ FBI agents fired under his presidency after a federal ​court of appeals rejected a⁣ bid on ‌Friday by the Justice Department⁣ to block the ex-president’s testimony.

The DOJ had argued that deposing⁢ Trump is “not appropriate” considering there is no evidence in that case​ to indicate ‌that ‌the FBI‌ fired then-agent Peter Strzok⁣ at Trump’s direction, even if Trump wanted his⁢ removal. ​The ruling on Friday adds on top of ‌various other‍ cases where the former president is set to be deposed.

Panel Rejects⁢ DOJ’s Attempt to​ Block Deposition

But a three-judge panel on​ the U.S. Court of Appeals for the⁤ District of Columbia‍ ruled Friday that ⁤government petitioners had not shown “they are entitled to the extraordinary‌ remedy” they sought to block the former president’s deposition over⁤ the matter.‍ The ruling was ⁢split 2-1.

DOJ attorneys⁤ argued ⁤that a July​ 6 district court ruling that also ⁢rejected the effort ‌to block‍ Trump’s deposition marked a “clear abuse of discretion.”

The panel’s decision⁢ on Friday stated ⁢that ⁤before authorizing the deposition, “the district court held multiple hearings on the relevant issues, considered ⁣several rounds ⁤of additional briefing, and required respondents to exhaust ⁣other means of obtaining the information they sought.” The judges ⁢added that the district court limited the deposition to ‌two hours, and ⁣to a⁤ “narrow set ‍of topics ‍identified.”

“Under these circumstances, petitioners have not shown ⁢that the district court’s ⁣conclusion was a clear‍ abuse of discretion warranting mandamus relief,”⁢ the panel added.

Lawsuit Filed by Former ​FBI Agents

The lawsuit​ was filed by former ⁤FBI agents Strzok​ and Lisa Page in 2019 after they were fired from their positions while working on the investigation into alleged ties between‍ Trump’s⁤ 2016‌ presidential campaign and Russia.​ Text‌ messages ‍from the two while they were working on⁣ the investigation showed them espousing anti-Trump⁤ sentiments.

Strzok argued he was terminated for political​ reasons and ​is seeking to⁣ be reinstated at the bureau ⁣and be awarded⁢ damages. Page⁢ is claiming her privacy rights were violated with the text ‍messages being revealed while also‌ seeking ⁤damages.

The messages between the two former agents also revealed they were ‍involved ⁢in an affair⁤ together.⁢ During his time in office, Trump tweeted on several occasions ‍about Strzok, calling him a ⁣”sick ⁢loser,” “incompetent,” and “corrupt” and celebrating his termination from the FBI.

The case between the DOJ⁢ and the agents ‌marked a rare occurrence in ‍which the ⁤federal government was seeking to help the former⁤ president, in this case to avoid a deposition, as he is currently facing two federal criminal cases ⁤brought by the⁤ agency over his alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 election and ⁤retain classified materials.

On Sept. 6, Trump is slated to be deposed in his $500 million case⁣ against his former attorney⁤ Michael Cohen, in which Trump alleges‌ Cohen’s breaches of‍ contract caused him reputational⁤ harm.

And in a‍ case likely headed for trial in early⁤ October, Trump was deposed for seven hours with New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office in ⁢April‌ as part ⁣of the civil fraud case against him and the Trump Organization.

The Washington Examiner contacted‍ the‍ DOJ for a‍ response.

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