Judge orders Trump to testify in Strzok lawsuit.

Judge Rules Former President Trump Must Sit for Deposition in Lawsuit

A judge on Thursday ruled that former President Donald Trump must sit for a deposition in a lawsuit brought by former FBI agent Peter Strzok. This decision comes after Judge Amy Berman Jackson denied the Department of Justice’s motion for reconsideration, which aimed to block Trump from being deposed in Strzok’s 2019 lawsuit.

Strzok’s Lawsuit and Allegations

Peter Strzok filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department after being fired, claiming that his First Amendment rights were violated when the DOJ released his private text messages with former FBI lawyer Lisa Page. He also alleges that he was wrongfully terminated. In a separate case, Page sued the FBI for allegedly violating the Privacy Act.

“Given the limited nature of the deposition that has been ordered, and the fact that the former President’s schedule appears to be able to accommodate other civil litigation that he has initiated, the outcome of the balancing required by the apex doctrine remains the same for all of the reasons previously stated,” wrote Judge Jackson in a brief order.

Jackson had previously ruled in February that both Trump and FBI Director Christopher Wray could be deposed on specific topics, with the depositions being limited to two hours. Wray has already undergone a closed-door deposition on June 27, according to ABC News.

DOJ’s Attempt to Block Trump’s Deposition

The Department of Justice filed a motion on Wednesday to prevent Trump from being deposed, arguing that it was unnecessary since they had received sworn testimony from Wray, Trump’s second chief of staff John Kelly, and former Associate Deputy Attorney General Scott Schools.

“The new evidence also consists of other sworn testimony from key, high-level government officials with direct knowledge of the former President’s communications (or lack thereof) regarding Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page. The availability of that evidence to Mr. Strzok means the deposition of former President Trump is not appropriate,” stated a redacted version of the filing.

Jackson’s ruling on Thursday evening denies the DOJ’s request to bar Trump from testifying.

“While the testimony of the individuals deposed so far did not support the plaintiffs’ theory that the former President was involved in the decision making at issue in this case, it is important to note that the former President himself has publicly boasted of his involvement,” said Judge Jackson.

Read more: The Washington Examiner