Former President Donald Trump will be deposed next month in connection with a pair of lawsuits filed by former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, according to a filing Thursday.
Lawyers for the ex-FBI officials said in the filing that Trump is scheduled to answer questions for two hours on Oct. 17. Strzok has alleged he was wrongfully terminated, while Page, who resigned as an FBI lawyer in May 2018, has argued privacy violations in relation to the public disclosure of her text messages with Strzok.
A lawyer for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday about the coming deposition.
A federal appeals court this month denied the Justice Department’s request to block Trump from sitting for a deposition related to the lawsuits. FBI Director Christopher Wray and other top federal officials have already given depositions.
The Justice Department had repeatedly opposed Trump’s testifying in the case, arguing previously that his deposition should be halted after several top federal officials delivered testimony that “revealed no substantial evidence” suggesting pressure from Trump had caused Strzok’s wrongful termination.
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who ruled this year that Trump could be deposed, noted in a July order that he had “publicly boasted” about his involvement in the matter, which justified a closer look by way of a deposition.
Trump’s deposition could be postponed amid a looming government shutdown if the Justice Department asks to pause civil actions in which it is a party.
Lawyers for Strzok and Page said they would fight any effort to delay the deposition.
"Plaintiffs will oppose any stay and expect to promptly request relief from any default stay that is imposed," they wrote.
The filing notes that the Justice Department, citing agency policy, "could not discuss whether they would be seeking a stay in this action in the event of a shutdown until Monday."
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the case or any potential future actions Thursday.
When he was in office, Trump was a frequent critic of Strzok and Page, who were removed from assignments in then-special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation after their text exchanges disparaging Trump became public in December 2017.
In addition to other claims in her lawsuit, Page has also alleged that “frequent attacks” by Trump and his associates have restricted her earning capacity and damaged her reputation.
