Fox News contributor Trey Gowdy told "The Daily Briefing" Wednesday that Attorney General Bill Barr was likely referring to former FBI agent Peter Strzok when Barr told Fox News that "some" of the names being scrutinized by Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham would be familiar.
"Keep in mind," Gowdy told host Dana Perino, "Peter Strzok, a household name, has his fingerprints on every aspect of this.
BARR SAYS FAMILIAR NAMES AMONG THOSE DOJ INVESTIGATING
"From initiating it [the Russia probe] in the summer of 2016, to the Hillary Clinton investigation, to [Robert] Muller interviewing Michael Flynn, Peter Strzok would be a name that I would listen for as Durham begins to wind up his work."
Barr told "Special Report" in an exclusive interview that aired Tuesday that Americans will be able to recognize "some" of the names under investigation as part of Durham's ongoing probe into federal surveillance abuses. Barr added that he is "very troubled" by "what has been called to" his attention so far.
Strzok, the now-disgraced former head of FBI counterintelligence is likely among the household names under investigation after internal FBI documents unsealed in April show that he ordered the investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn to remain open even after it was slated to be closed due to a lack of so-called "derogatory" information, explained Gowdy.
BARR SAYS HE DIDN'T GIVE TACTICAL ORDER TO CLEAR PROTESTERS
"When you give power to someone, it is not legitimate to say, 'Were you a good steward of those powers?'" asked Gowdy, a former chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
"We give law enforcement and our intelligence community these awesome powers that no one else has," Gowdy added. "The power to indict, arrest and surveil...and all he [Barr] is asking in return is that you be a good steward and there be a factual predicate when you investigate, whether it's a potential president, or your neighbor next door. "
Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report.