Former Rep. Gohmert blasts Jack Smith for allegedly targeting his personal phone records in J6 probe
In a recent exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, former Representative Louie Gohmert expressed strong condemnation of ex-Special Counsel Jack Smith for allegedly seeking his personal phone records as part of the investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. Gohmert claimed that Smith’s actions represent a significant overreach that undermines the foundational checks and balances established by the Founding Fathers. He emphasized that the Fourth Amendment requires specificity and probable cause when targeting an individual’s records, arguing that Smith’s approach resembled a “witch hunt” rather than a legitimate investigation. Gohmert further articulated concerns about the implications of such actions on the separation of powers, stating that accessing the records of sitting members of Congress could deter whistleblowers from reporting misconduct within federal agencies.
The controversy arises from a document shared by FBI Director Kash Patel with Senate Judiciary Committee leaders, revealing that Smith sought toll records from the personal cell phones of both Gohmert and then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. This move has sparked outrage among Republican lawmakers, with McCarthy vowing to pursue legal action against Smith, asserting that the investigation is an abuse of power aimed at political opponents of the Biden administration. He criticized the attempt to access the private communications of congressional members as illegal and pledged to hold Smith accountable through congressional hearings. Meanwhile, Gohmert’s concerns echo a broader sentiment among some lawmakers regarding governmental overreach, particularly in light of Smith’s previous investigations into Republican senators’ communications during the Capitol riots.
In defense of his actions, Smith has maintained that the collection of phone records was conducted in accordance with Justice Department policy and was narrowly focused on a critical period surrounding the events of January 6. The ongoing scrutiny of Smith’s investigation, dubbed “Arctic Frost,” has raised questions about the balance between national security interests and the rights of individuals, particularly those in public office. As the situation unfolds, both Gohmert and McCarthy’s responses highlight a growing tension between lawmakers and federal investigators, emphasizing the need for clarity and accountability in the pursuit of justice. The implications of these revelations could have lasting effects on the relationship between Congress and federal law enforcement agencies, underscoring the delicate balance of power within the U.S. government.
EXCLUSIVE:
Former Rep. Louie Gohmert blasted ex-Special Counsel Jack Smith for allegedly
targeting his personal phone records
as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that his action “destroys the checks and balances that the founders counted on.”
Fox News Digital exclusively reported Thursday morning that Smith targeted then-
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’
s personal, private phone records, as well as Gohmert’s.
JACK SMITH SOUGHT THEN-HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY’S PRIVATE PHONE RECORDS IN J6 PROBE, FBI DOCS REVEAL
Fox News Digital exclusively reviewed the document that FBI Director
Kash Patel
recently shared with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson containing the explosive revelations. Grassley and Johnson have been leading a joint investigation into Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe.
According to the document, Smith, on Jan. 24, 2023, allegedly sought the “toll records for the personal cell phones of U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (AT&T) and U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert (Verizon.)”
The information was included as part of a “significant case notification” drafted by the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division May 25, 2023.
“It is astounding that Jack ‘Frost’ Smith went on this persecution,” Gohmert told Fox News Digital Thursday. “Apparently, this guy has never read the Fourth Amendment because you have to describe with particularity what it is you’re going after — there should be probable cause, and they had no probable cause. They were going on a witch hunt.”
Smith had sought Gohmert’s personal cellphone records from November 2020 through the end of January 2021.
“They don’t have any regard for the Fourth Amendment,” he said. “It makes Watergate look like school yard folly.”
But Gohmert said it is the “principle.”
“It is the separation of powers that is the problem,” Gohmert explained. “People and whistleblowers contacted me regularly from within the DOJ and the FBI about overreach within the FBI and DOJ. By grabbing my records, they could stifle reporting of potential crimes by people within the agencies.”
JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYS
“You can’t just go seize members of Congress’ records even with a warrant because of that separation of powers,” Gohmert said. “There has to be a wall and that’s what troubles me more than anything.”
Gohmert told Fox News Digital that he didn’t remember who he spoke with during the time period Smith sought records, but said that “the last thing I want is for someone who trusted me to keep their name private to have some jack-booted thug like Jack ‘Frost’ Smith grab my records and find out who is tattle tailing on him.”
He added: “It violates and destroys the checks and balances that the founders counted on.”
Gohmert, though, told Fox News Digital that he trusts the current Justice Department and FBI leadership.
“I trust the DOJ and trust the people running the FBI,” he said. “We’ll see if there were any crimes committed and, if following the Constitution, they can be properly prosecuted.”
HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE
Meanwhile, McCarthy said he will take legal action against Smith.
“Jack Smith’s radical and deranged investigation was never about finding the truth,” McCarthy told Fox News Digital. “It was a blatant weaponizing of the Justice Department to attack political opponents of the Biden administration. Perhaps no action underscores this point more than the illegal attempt to access the phone records of sitting members of the House and Senate — including the Speaker of the House.”
“His illegal targeting demands real accountability,” McCarthy continued. “And I am confident Congress will hold hearings and access documents in its investigation into Jack Smith’s own abuses.”
HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE
“At the same time, I will ask my own counsel to pursue all areas of redress so this does not happen to anyone else,” McCarthy said.
The revelations come after Fox News Digital exclusively reported in October that Smith and his “Arctic Frost” team investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots were tracking the private communications and phone calls of nearly a dozen Republican senators as part of the probe, including Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and GOP Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania.
An official told Fox News Digital that those records were collected in 2023 by Smith and his team after subpoenaing major telephone providers.
Smith has called his decision to subpoena and track Republican lawmakers’ phone records “entirely proper” and consistent with
Justice Department
policy.
“As described by various Senators, the toll data collection was narrowly tailored and limited to the four days from January 4, 2021 to January 7, 2021, with a focus on telephonic activity during the period immediately surrounding the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol,” Smith’s lawyers wrote in October to Grassley.
Grassley, R-Iowa, and Johnson, R-Wis., have been investigating the matter.
An FBI official told Fox News Digital that “Arctic Frost” is a “prohibited case,” and that the review required FBI officials to go “above and beyond in order to deliver on this promise of transparency.” The discovery is part of a broader ongoing review, Fox News Digital has learned.
Smith, after months of investigating, charged President
Donald Trump
in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request.
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Smith’s case cost taxpayers more than $50 million.
Smith did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
