DOJ Obtained GOP Senators' Call Records During Jan. 6 Investigation

The Department of Justice reportedly obtained call records of several Republican senators during an investigation related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol events. According to information reviewed by Fox News Digital, former special counsel Jack Smith and his team collected data showing call dates, times, durations, and locations, but not the content of conversations. The records were allegedly gathered in 2023 through subpoenas to telephone providers as part of Smith's investigation.

The collection reportedly affected approximately eleven Republican lawmakers, including Senators Ron Johnson, Lindsey Graham, Marsha Blackburn, Josh Hawley, and others. FBI Director Kash Patel discovered a document titled "CAST Assistance" dated September 27, 2023, which detailed the data collection. A source indicated the communications were likely related to the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

The matter has sparked disagreement between lawmakers about the nature and appropriateness of the data collection. Senator Johnson characterized the action as surveillance and "an outrageous abuse of power," stating that Republican senators were targeted based on their party affiliation. Johnson shared that he was briefed on the matter by FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.

Representative Daniel Goldman (D-NY) offered a different perspective, stating that the senators "weren't surveilled" in the traditional sense. Goldman maintained that the Department of Justice only obtained basic call metadata after the fact, distinguishing this from content monitoring. The congressman further claimed the records were collected to investigate efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, reflecting the ongoing partisan disagreement about investigations related to the January 6 events.