Gohmert Criticizes Jack Smith Over Alleged Phone Record Searches

Former Congressman Louis Gohmert has taken aim at Jack Smith, the former special counsel, for purportedly targeting his personal phone records during the investigation into the January 6 Capitol riot. In a recent conversation with Fox News Digital, Gohmert expressed that Smith’s actions “destroy the checks and balances that the Founding Fathers expected.”

This revelation emerged from an exclusive report that also indicated Smith had sought the private phone records of then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Investigative Documents Reviewed

Documents reviewed by Fox News Digital reveal that on January 24, 2023, Smith allegedly accessed the personal call records of both McCarthy and Gohmert.

These details appeared in a “Critical Incident Notice” created by the FBI’s Division of Criminal Investigation on May 25, 2023.

Gohmert remarked to FOX News, “It’s astonishing that Jack Frost Smith participated in this persecution. It seems he hasn’t even considered the Fourth Amendment, which requires specificity in what you’re pursuing. There’s supposed to be a legitimate reason, and they had none. It felt like a witch hunt.”

Smith’s inquiry into Gohmert’s records spanned from November 2020 to the end of January 2021.

“They clearly disregard the Fourth Amendment,” he continued, “This makes Watergate look trivial.” Yet, Gohmert insisted it was more about principle for him.

Concerns Over Separation of Powers

Gohmert elaborated, stating, “The issue lies in the separation of powers. Whistleblowers within the DOJ and FBI have often reached out to me regarding overreach. By obtaining my records, they can suppress reports on potential misdeeds within the agency.”

He emphasized that even with a warrant, the records of Congress members shouldn’t be easily seized, indicating a necessary boundary that has been crossed. He expressed discomfort, saying, “I don’t recall who Smith was communicating with during that time, but I don’t want someone’s name to be compromised, especially if they trusted me to keep it private.”

Gohmert maintained, “This undermines the checks and balances our founders envisioned.” Nevertheless, he affirmed his belief in the current leadership of the Justice Department and FBI.

“I trust the Department of Justice and the FBI leadership,” he said. “We’ll ascertain whether any crimes occurred and follow constitutional protocols to address them.”

McCarthy Plans Legal Action

Meanwhile, McCarthy announced plans to take legal action against Smith, declaring the investigation to be a manipulation of the Justice Department aimed at targeting political opponents. “This misconduct demands accountability,” he added, expressing confidence that Congress would conduct thorough hearings on Smith’s actions.

McCarthy noted his intention to seek all legal avenues to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

The investigation had earlier revealed that Smith’s team had scrutinized the private communications of several Republican senators during their January 6 probe, gathering records after issuing subpoenas to major phone companies.

Smith has defended his tactics, arguing they were “totally appropriate” under DOJ policy, emphasizing that the obtained data was limited to a few days around the Capitol riot’s timing.

As the situation unfolds, Gohmert and McCarthy focus on challenging what they see as overreaches in the investigation, raising significant concerns about privacy and the balance of power.