Congressional Phone Records in Jan. 6 Investigation
Congressional investigators amassed tens of millions of phone records during the Democratic-led investigation into the Jan. 6 events, aiming to trace connections between conservatives and President Trump. This information comes from an FBI memo that was accessed by a news outlet.
The information, disclosed by former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, reportedly includes about 30 million lines of phone data that were gathered without a warrant. Kinzinger indicated that former Republican Rep. Denver Riggleman, who served as a senior adviser to the Jan. 6 committee, played a key role in compiling these records.
The memo, released by FBI Director Kash Patel, outlines that Kinzinger informed the FBI Riggleman used a congressional subpoena to gather data linking various records of calls, which interestingly included one with President Trump.
“While former Congressman Denver Riggleman was working with the task force, he had contacts and was able to obtain toll information, including White House route and switchboard numbers, through a Congressional subpoena,” the memo states.
Kinzinger clarified that he wasn’t personally responsible for the analysis; rather, Riggleman pinpointed specific phone connections between the White House and certain individuals.
In December 2023, Kinzinger alerted the FBI about these records, a year after his departure from Congress and after the committee’s work was completed. He was one of just two anti-Trump Republicans serving on the Democratic-led committee, alongside former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.
It’s still uncertain if the FBI obtained these records in the end.
The FBI did not respond quickly to inquiries from the news source. Attempts to reach Kinzinger and Riggleman for comments were unsuccessful.
This information arises shortly after reports emerged concerning former special counsel Jack Smith and the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” inquiry, which reportedly collected phone records and private messages from several Republican politicians linked to the Jan. 6 election interference case against Trump.
Among the individuals targeted were Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Josh Hawley of Missouri, and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
Similarly, investigations during the Biden administration have focused on a range of conservative figures and organizations, including Turning Point USA and Save America PAC.
