Trump DOJ Secretly Obtained Records of Congress Members, Staff in 2017-18 Leak Probe

Dec 10, 2024, 05:00 PM

The U.S. Justice Department under former President Donald Trump's administration secretly obtained phone and text message records of two members of Congress and 43 congressional staffers during a leak investigation in 2017-18, according to an internal watchdog report. The investigation, which included the records of Kash Patel, Trump's current FBI pick, was broader than previously known. The Department of Justice (DOJ) failed to follow its own policies when subpoenaing these records, including not informing the courts about the surveillance of congressional staff. The DOJ's actions were criticized for ignoring constitutional separation of powers and potentially chilling congressional oversight. The watchdog also found that the DOJ sidestepped key procedures when pursuing journalists' phone and email records, indicating a lack of policy regarding Congress when it swept up records on lawmakers and their staff. Several individuals were continuously spied on for 4 years, and the investigation resulted in zero charges.