He was named formation scout after the 2023 Dutch general election but resigned within days, after he was linked to a fraud case involving his former employer, Utrecht Holdings.

[2] From 1984 to 1988 van Strien served as chair of the local organization of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy in Alphen aan den Rijn.

[4] Fellow party members called his term in office as unremarkable apart for his sudden departure.

[4] In the weekend following his nomination Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad published an article implicating van Strien in a fraud case brought forth by his former employer, Utrecht Holdings.

[11] Van Strien later stated that it was a mistake that he did not inform Wilders of the allegations when he was considered for formation scout.

[13] In a civil case against Van Strien's successor as managing director of Utrecht Holdings, a court of appeals concluded in November 2024 that Van Strien and his successor had obtained a stake in a spin-off company of the university, which held shares of two biomedical companies, by hiding their involvement in a separate entity called Hereswint.

In reply to the ruling, Van Strien called it disgraceful that his conduct was judged without him being heard.