AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib
Republican senators inserted a clause into the new, shutdown-ending government funding bill that could allow them to personally claim hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money if they prove their phone records were improperly seized during the Biden-era Justice Department’s investigation into January 6.
The provision, part of the legislative branch appropriations bill for 2026, was inserted by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), according to Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who said he was among those targeted by former special counsel Jack Smith’s inquiry.
“Leader Thune inserted that in the bill to provide real teeth to the prohibition on the Department of Justice targeting senators,” Cruz told Politico.
Under the new language, any senator whose data was obtained without proper notification could sue the federal government for damages of at least $500,000 per violation. Democrats say the measure was added at the last minute without consultation.
Republicans argue the change is a necessary safeguard after revelations that phone metadata, although not call contents, of several GOP senators was collected in Smith’s probe of the 2020 election. The data requests were approved by Chief Judge James Boasberg, who is now facing impeachment calls from Trump allies.
“This is precisely what’s wrong with the Senate,” fumed Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), the top Democrat on the subcommittee overseeing the bill.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) called the move “outrageous” and a reason the bill shouldn’t pass.
https://x.com/ChrisMurphyCT/status/1988246829025092008?s=20
Critics, including Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), warn the clause effectively gives lawmakers a financial windfall with very little oversight, while insulating them from scrutiny.
“It seems that there’s quite an effort on the other side, people saying they don’t know anything about it,” he said. “Which ought to be a wake-up call to everybody about the possibility of abuse.”
The post GOP Senators Slip Provision to Let Them Sue the Government for Subpoenaing Phone Records in Jan 6 Case Into Spending Bill first appeared on Mediaite.
