美国国家公共电台 NPR FBI Fires Peter Strzok, Political Lightning Rod Who Criticized Trump

 

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The FBI has fired a veteran agent who investigated Russia's interference in the 2016 election and then became a target for President Trump¹. Special Agent Peter Strzok became a lightning rod because of text messages he sent that were critical of the president. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE²: Strzok's dismissal marks the end of a long slide. He'd been taken off the Russia investigation³ last summer when supervisors⁴ became aware of his politically loaded text messages. Two months ago, he was escorted out of the FBI's headquarters. President Trump cheered Strzok's firing with a tweet this afternoon that said, finally. Trump had often criticized the special agent, as in this interview with CBS News last month.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: He was a disgrace to our country. He was a disgrace to the FBI. So when I look at things like that - and he led that investigation or whatever you call it.

HORSLEY: Trump has often called the investigation of Russia's interference in the 2016 election a witch hunt, and he points to Strzok's text messages as justification⁵ for that charge. Strzok has acknowledged sending messages critical of the president to a former FBI attorney, Lisa Page, with whom he was having an extramarital affair. But during a contentious⁶ congressional hearing last month, Strzok insisted that had no bearing on the investigation.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PETER STRZOK: Let me be clear. Unequivocally and under oath, not once in my 26 years of defending our nation did my personal opinions impact any official action I took.

HORSLEY: Strzok says that goes for both the Russia probe and an earlier investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, a case on which he also worked. Trump today called the FBI's Clinton email probe a sham⁷ and said it ought to be reopened.

According to Strzok's attorney, the disciplinary arm of the FBI had recommended only a demotion and a 60-day suspension for the special agent, but the bureau's deputy director decided⁸ to fire Strzok instead. His attorney calls the dismissal a response to political pressure and adds the FBI and the American people deserve better. The attorney echoed Strzok's own testimony⁹ to Congress last month when he said Russia's election interference had been wildly successful, shaking faith in America's institutions and sowing discord¹⁰ throughout the country.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

STRZOK: Today's hearing is just another victory notch¹¹ in Putin's belt and another milestone¹² in our enemies' campaign to tear America apart.

HORSLEY: Tonight the FBI issued a statement explaining the decision to fire Strzok as within the deputy director's authority and, quote, "in the best interest of the FBI." Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

5 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

6 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

7 sham   

n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的)

参考例句：

• They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
• His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

10 discord   

n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐

参考例句：

• These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。
• The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。

11 notch   

n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级

参考例句：

• The peanuts they grow are top-notch.他们种的花生是拔尖的。
• He cut a notch in the stick with a sharp knife.他用利刃在棒上刻了一个凹痕。

12 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。