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For this two-week campaign, I am offering a special deal to encourage donations. Donations of $200 will get a free autographed copy of the new paperback edition of Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8, while donations of $250 will get a free autographed copy of the new hardback edition. If you desire a copy, make sure you provide me your address with your donation.

 

As I noted in July, the support of my readers through the years has given me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.

 

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Why is Peter Strzok still employed by the FBI?

The headline is essentially taken from this article, that asks this pertinent question in the context of the claim by FBI director Christopher Wray that “We will not hesitate to hold people accountable.”

Yet, the only thing Wray has so far done is to organize “in-depth focused training” sessions for FBI employees. No agent specifically described in the inspector general report has been fired, despite this fact:

[Strzok’s] expressed animus for Donald Trump and advocacy for Hillary Clinton in official and unofficial forums while participating in investigations of both were enough for Robert Mueller to remove him from the special counsel team. The text message, “we’ll stop it,” was known to the FBI well ahead of the release of this IG report.

If Wray isn’t hesitating to hold people accountable, why is Strzok still employed by the FBI? As Michael Horowitz told the House Oversight Committee today, even the suggestion that a high-ranking FBI agent would consider using his authority to impact an election is “antithetical” to an apolitical enforcement of the law. Horowitz also acknowledged that Strzok’s communications, and those of Lisa Page and three others involved in these conversations, created a “cloud” over both investigations that cannot easily be dismissed.

It has been more than a year since Strzok was removed by Mueller. The FBI has known of his misconduct (as well as Lisa Page’s) earlier than that. Yet Strzok remains employed by the FBI.

The problem here is not simply FBI Director Wray. He works for Donald Trump, who has the authority and power to fire everyone at the FBI. Yet, nothing happens.

As I said earlier, if sensitivity training is the only punishment that the Trump administration imposes on the FBI and Justice Department after these revelations then we are very very doomed. The corruption in both these very powerful agencies will only blossom, with everyone there now aware that nothing will happen to them if they act to interfere with the nation’s electoral process.

Update: One news story today says that Peter Strzok was escorted from FBI building. Whether he has been officially fired remains unclear.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

10 comments

  • Cotour

    Strzock is thee central subject of the I.G. Horowitz hearing on going as I type. This is the beginning of the beginning and not the beginning of the end.

    Its very interesting watching and hearing very experienced lawyers, prosecutors and defense attorney’s do their thing. The Democrats all make the point that president Trump has not been “cleared” and Hillary was robbed, and the Republicans are painstakingly pouring over the tremendous amount of evidence brought to the table that clearly shows extreme bias in the leadership of the FBI against the president.

    And Mr. Horowitz clearly says that he has many, many related open and on going investigations that he can not talk about and he clearly states his great concern at the words and actions perpetrated by the leadership of the FBI’s James Comey and Mr. Strzock.

    COMING IT IS.

  • Cotour

    And PS: Everything perverted and corrupt in politics leads naturally to one focal point in the 2016 election, Hillary Rodham Clinton. They all subjectively knew that she would more than likely be the next president and their boss and were loath to justify making any kind of move against her when they clearly were justified in doing so.

    I really can not blame them on one level, but on another level where they should have all objectively and ideally been they are all to blame the the mess we see before us. This is America and the fact that this is moving ahead to some form of resolution is what its all about. Embrace the mess, its our mess, we need this mess and this process is what in the end makes us strong and more than instead of mediocre and average.

  • wodun

    He could still be there because it makes it easier to get him to testify and face different types of punishment.

    It is interesting that the IG found some text messages rather easy but that some were deleted by the FBI from their retention system and had to be recovered from individual’s phones. The bad actors knew there was incriminating evidence and they employed the FBI IT department to destroy evidence and obstruct justice.

    It is apparent that this type of behavior was widespread at the FBI and Obama administration in general, we can only imagine what other incriminating communications were destroyed.

  • Orion314

    Fox News website reports Strzok was removed/escorted from the FBI building today.

  • Keith

    Many people are incensed the politicians don’t work to solve problems in order to keep issues alive for political purposes. The Democrats refusal to deal on immigration is a current example.

    Perhaps Strzok is still employed to help keep the issue alive for political purposes. The strong anger regarding the FBI’s and DOJ’s obvious unfairness might drive many voters in November’s mid-term elections, and Strzok is the poster child for bias against Trump and his supporters.

    There are things that many of us think should have happened by now … Hillary should have been prosecuted, Rosenstein should be fired, the Muller investigation should be wrapped up and Obamacare should be gone. But, alas, somebody’s interest must be served by their continuing.

    Things always happen (or don’t happen) for reason.

  • Col Beausabre

    “Keep your friends close and enemies closer”

  • wayne

    Strzok has been transferred to the Human Resources department at FBI. His paycheck continues to be deposited into his checking account, like clockwork.

    -If he and his entire extended-family were rendered off shore and disappeared with extreme prejudice….I wouldn’t care one bit.

  • Cotour

    Now, Wayne, your sounding like a vindictive, evil and irrational Liberal / Leftist now. You should be pleased that you and the entire world are now aware of the goings on and the plain for all to see nature of man and abuse of power. Our system, as it is, is working.

    This will all serve a higher cause in time.

  • Edward

    wodun pondered: “He could still be there because it makes it easier to get him to testify and face different types of punishment.

    I think he is still there because he is an agency hero for supporting Clinton and sabotaging Trump. Or was, before he got caught at it. Management is obviously trying to find a way to not punish him for doing what they like — or what they directed. After all, the field agents who interviewed Michael Flynn thought he was being honest, but it was upper management who chose to persecute him anyway.

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