FBI agent Peter Strzok wrote the first draft of Comey letter reopening Clinton email investigation

Peter Strzok, the FBI agent who’s drawn the ire of conservatives over a series of texts messages critical of Donald Trump, played a key role in drafting the letter by former FBI Director James Comey that re-opened an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, CNN reports.

Strzok “co-wrote” the first draft of Comey’s letter, which effectively announced the FBI had re-opened a probe in October to Clinton’s emails—a pivotal moment in the 2016 presidential election. In text messages, Strzok appeared to deal with the fallout from that letter.

The report dispels a central Republican talking point that paints Strzok as a hyper-partisan pro-Clinton FBI stooge. Trump backers in the GOP have pointed to the messages from Strzok as proof that career intelligence officials were privately working to ensure Clinton was elected.