WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI agent who helped lead the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia says "there was no conspiracy" at the agency to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president.

Peter Strzok made the comments during a closed-door interview with House lawmakers last year. The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins, released an interview transcript Thursday as part of a GOP effort to paint the early days of the Russia probe as tainted by law enforcement bias.

Strzok also said he did not secretly scheme with an FBI lawyer with whom he exchanged anti-Trump text messages to prevent Trump from getting elected.

Strzok was removed in 2017 from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigative team following the discovery of the messages with attorney Lisa Page.