The Department of Justice official who approved a $2 million payout to former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page has been identified as Brian Netter, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General under the Biden administration.
Strzok and Page were central figures in the Trump-Russia investigation, and their leaked text messages revealed personal bias against then-candidate Donald Trump.
Settlement Approval Uncovered
According to a response from the DOJ to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Center to Advance Security in America, Netter was the official who signed off on the settlement agreements in 2024.
At the time, Netter served in the DOJ’s Federal Programs Branch. He currently works as legal director at Democracy Forward, a progressive legal group.
Legal Ties to Trump Opponents
Democracy Forward was launched in 2017 and is affiliated with the Democrat Party. The organization has filed over 100 lawsuits against President Trump, including election-related litigation.
The group now lists Marc Elias, a former lawyer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, as one of its top legal figures.
Settlement Details
On July 30, 2024, the DOJ agreed to settle with Strzok and Page over the disclosure of their text messages. The texts, exchanged on government-issued phones, were released as part of the investigation into the 2016 Russia collusion allegations.
Former Trump official Kash Patel has publicly criticized the payout, highlighting the nature of the texts, which included references to an “insurance policy” if Trump won the election. Patel has described the actions as a coordinated effort to undermine Trump’s presidency.
Background on the Messages
Strzok and Page’s messages revealed personal animus toward Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign and the early days of his presidency. The communications were later cited in congressional investigations and Justice Department reviews examining political bias inside the FBI.
Ongoing Oversight
The settlement and Netter’s role in authorizing it are likely to remain under House Judiciary Committee review, as lawmakers continue to examine the DOJ’s handling of internal misconduct and politically sensitive investigations.
