Sen. Hawley Critiques Democrats Over Surveillance Allegations
During a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley expressed concern regarding his Democratic colleagues’ response to reports that former special counsel Jack Smith monitored communications of several Republican senators. This includes notable figures such as Lindsey Graham, Tommy Tuberville, and Marsha Blackburn, as Smith investigates former President Donald Trump’s attempts to contest the 2020 election results.
Hawley pointed out that Democrats seemed unconcerned about these surveillance allegations, suggesting this indicates a broader pattern of political weaponization by the left. “I’ve been paying attention, and it’s striking to me how my Democratic colleagues complain about targeting political opponents while seemingly ignoring this situation,” Hawley remarked to Attorney General Pam Bondy. He went on to quote claims that President Joe Biden has never directed such actions against political adversaries.
“It’s curious,” he continued. “I could assert that the FBI may have listened to my calls, and yet there has been no outcry from over there. Instead, it feels like there’s a complete lack of concern regarding the Justice Department’s actions,” he added, hinting at his belief that these actions are politically motivated.
The surveillance pertains to the ongoing Arctic Frost investigation, which evaluates communications around the challenges to the 2020 electoral vote certification. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino commented on the seriousness of this situation, stating, “It’s disheartening to announce that the FBI once targeted lawmakers’ private conversations for political reasons, but that era is behind us.” He informed the affected senators following a request for oversight from Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley.
Grassley underscored the seriousness of the matter, indicating that documented evidence reveals the Biden FBI indeed monitored the communications of eight Republican senators during this investigation. He remarked that this inquiry has direct implications for the electoral lawsuit brought against Trump by Jack Smith.
