Sen. Lindsey Graham Criticizes Surveillance of January 6 Investigation
South Carolina’s Republican Senator Lindsey Graham spoke on Fox News’ “Hannity” on Tuesday, expressing his intention to take legal action against anyone in the federal government involved in monitoring phone records from 2021, including former special advisor Jack Smith.
According to a report from Fox News Digital, Graham and other GOP members were allegedly surveilled by Smith as part of the inquiry into the January 6 insurrection. Graham labeled these actions as “abuse of power.”
“This is what I believe,” Graham stated. He mentioned that even though Trump hadn’t officially declared his candidacy at that time, the surveillance was an attempt to thwart his potential comeback. He felt this was orchestrated by individuals like Jack Smith, Alvin Bragg, Fanny Willis, and Letitia James to prevent Trump from securing a victory in the 2024 election. “I’ve seen this movie before,” he noted, reflecting on his own experiences.
When Hannity questioned whether Graham would specifically include Smith in his legal pursuits, Graham indicated he would target “anyone” he could hold accountable. “Anyone who can sue on behalf of future leaders—we can’t let this abuse of power continue unchecked,” he added. He referred to past injustices, saying, “One man went to prison for a year and crossed paths with the storm. [Former FBI Director James] Comey is finally discussed after all these years. If there’s no consequence now, it will persist,” he warned.
Graham claimed that Jack Smith had previously released documents in October, just days before the midterms, arguing that they violated Justice Department guidelines. He expressed his frustration, saying, “This stinks to high heaven. I’m tired of it. There are new people who need to clean up this mess. My aim isn’t just to criticize Democrats but to ensure no one faces this kind of treatment in the future.”
As part of Smith’s January 6 investigation in 2023, reports indicated that calls of Graham and other Republican lawmakers, such as Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee and Mike Kelly from Alabama, were being monitored. An FBI official informed Fox News Digital that Smith’s team managed to identify the phone numbers lawmakers dialed, the locations of the calls, and where they were received. This surveillance allegedly involved conversations regarding plans to contest the certification of election votes.
During a hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondy on Tuesday, Graham raised concerns about the legality of the surveillance and questioned whether it constituted an abuse of power. Bondy responded that ongoing investigations couldn’t be debated but reiterated that Smith’s team had spent $50 million supposedly trying to imprison Trump before the election.
