The Biden-era FBI’s collection of phone records from nine members of Congress represents a serious breach of constitutional limits and demands a full investigation, Sen. Ron Johnson, whose records were included, told Newsmax on Wednesday.
“What we need is — we need Kash Patel, Pam Bondi to do a rigorous internal investigation, turn all the records and documents over to Congress so that we can depose witnesses,” Johnson told “Newsline.”
He added that the documents are necessary to “do a proper interview and depose witnesses and hold a decent hearing.”
The records in question reportedly covered the phone metadata — including dates, times, durations and locations of calls — but not the contents of conversations from a list of lawmakers including Johnson, Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska; Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala.; Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa.,
The subpoenas were said to have been approved by a grand jury, though the lawmakers insist there was no criminal predicate to justify the search.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has called the revelation “worse than Watergate.”
“Scooping up the phone records of nine members of Congress is an egregious violation of separation of powers,” Johnson said.
He added that shortly after the records were seized, then-Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco changed the procedure for such collections.
“So somebody apparently noticed that ‘Oh, Houston, we have a problem here’ and tried to basically cover the backside,” said the senator.
He also warned against a special counsel investigating the matter, opting instead for Attorney General Bondi or FBI Director Patel.
“My experience is once special counsel or criminal investigation begins, all those documents are no longer available to Congress, which means no longer to the American people — and they may never become available,” said Johnson.
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