Title: Peter Strzok writes in 'Compromised' that FBI pondered whether Trump was 'a Manchurian candidate elected' - The Washington Post
Headings: FBI pondered whether Trump was ‘a Manchurian candidate elected,’ former agent alleges in new book
FBI pondered whether Trump was ‘a Manchurian candidate elected,’ former agent alleges in new book
Content: His book seeks to pull back the curtain on that case as well, contrasting it with the investigation into Trump. FBI’s Peter Strzok told Congress election tampering was a ‘far graver threat’ than Clinton email scandal, new transcript says
Strzok writes that he now believes it was the wrong decision for Comey to announce publicly in July 2016, just months ahead of the election, that he was recommending Clinton not be charged while criticizing her conduct. He talks, too, of institutional bias against the former Democratic presidential candidate, claiming a retired executive — whom he did not name in the book — said at lunch one day, “Pete, you’ve got to get that b----.” Advertisement
Strzok’s view, though, is that the investigation into Clinton was a far less serious matter than the inquiry into Trump. Story continues below advertisement
Even as he says Clinton’s use of a private server is what fueled investigators’ interest, Strzok allows that had her email been housed on the State Department system, “it would have been less secure and probably much more vulnerable to hacking.” He also concedes that Comey’s decision in October 2016 to reveal to Congress that the investigation had resumed ­— less than two weeks before voters were to go to the polls — probably altered the results of the election in Trump’s favor. “Reflecting back on 2016 reveals another hard truth: small margins matter in an election in which the total number of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan voters needed to swing the Electoral College would fit in one football stadium,” Strzok writes. “ Pundits who argue that it’s hard to substantively change public opinion miss the point: when you’re dealing with razor-thin margins, it doesn’t take much to move the needle.