U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) and other Republican Senators demanded on Friday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) produce all records relating to the Biden FBI's successful efforts to secretly obtain phone data from members of Congress as part of its Arctic Frost investigation into January 6.
New documents unveiled by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Monday revealed that the FBI, during the Biden administration, spied on the phones of eight Republican Senators, including Tuberville, and one representative.
The lawmakers also requested the DOJ seek judicial authorization to gain access to relevant records, which are subject to federal grand jury secrecy requirements.
"Given that these materials relate to an unprecedented collection of records and information on sitting [Members of Congress] and raise serious constitutional concerns, Congress's need for these records clearly outweighs any interest in secrecy," Tuberville and the lawmakers said. "Further, the unprecedented nature of the DOJ's and FBI's actions in collecting [Members of Congress'] communication records falls squarely within Congress's constitutional duty to thoroughly investigate potential abuses of power and creates a uniquely exceptional circumstance that demands the release of otherwise protected records."
Earlier this week, the FBI revealed that under the Biden Department of Justice, it had spied on the phone records of eight U.S. Senators, including Tuberville, as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President Trump's role in the January 6 events.
U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) also signed onto the letter.
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