Republicans Demand Communication Records from Verizon and AT&T
Republican members of Congress are pressing Verizon and AT&T for information on how they assisted the FBI in acquiring the phone records of several current Republican officials.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent a letter to these telecom giants, asking for details about communications linked to former special counsel Jack Smith and his team.
In his letter, Jordan noted, “Internal Justice Department records recently made public reveal that former Special Counsel Jack Smith coerced the phone records of multiple Republican lawmakers while also attempting to impose a gag order.”
He expressed concern over what he described as the Biden-Harris Department of Justice misusing its federal powers to carry out a politically motivated investigation against President Trump, including surveilling the communications of sitting Congress members.
It came to light last month that the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” investigation, aimed at disrupting the 2020 election, had secretly obtained records concerning various Republican senators and one congressman.
On September 27, 2023, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) disclosed documents that showed the FBI had authorization to carry out cell phone analyses on Republican officials.
The Arctic Frost investigation began in April 2022, with Smith taking over its management later that year. Jordan has since subpoenaed Smith to testify regarding the surveillance of Republican lawmakers and other related issues.
Grassley recently revealed that ten active Republican senators were part of the Arctic Frost probe, including Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). Grassley also shared evidence of 197 subpoenas that targeted close to 400 Republican-associated groups and operatives.
In May 2023, Smith had issued subpoenas to both telecom companies, leading Verizon to provide call records for eight sitting Republican senators. However, while these records indicated whom the members called, they didn’t include the content of those conversations.
AT&T also admitted to receiving a subpoena for the records of two Republican officials but declined to comply, suggesting Smith’s team didn’t pursue the matter further.
Federal Judge James Boasberg has implemented a gag order which prohibits AT&T and Verizon from disclosing the subpoenas to the Republican lawmakers affected.
Jordan emphasized in his correspondence that these revelations raised serious issues regarding potential violations of laws, including the Speech or Debate Clause, prompting a request for documents and information for oversight purposes.
In the aftermath, FBI Director Kash Patel dismissed several agents involved in the Arctic Frost investigation.
On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Smith’s team seized the cellphone previously used by Trump and scrutinized his phone records.
“During the Arctic Frost inquiry, the special counsel found that President Trump’s government-issued cell phone was taken,” Bondi noted. “Moreover, all of Trump’s personal phone records were subpoenaed. We cannot allow this type of government overreach in the U.S. ever again.”
