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FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., was one among practically a dozen Senate Republicans allegedly probed by former Particular Counsel Jack Smith, an investigation she wasn’t conscious of till earlier this month.
She was one among a number of Senate Republicans that Smith allegedly surveilled as a part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. But it surely was solely revealed earlier this month by the FBI — due to an oversight request by Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — that Smith allegedly requested telephone data on her and others.
Blackburn informed Fox Information Digital in an unique interview that till the paperwork from Smith’s “Arctic Frost” investigation have been revealed, she had no concept that her telephone data have been being surveilled.
JACK SMITH INVESTIGATORS NEED TO ‘PAY BIG’ FOR JAN. 6 PHONE RECORDS PROBE, WARNS SEN. GRAHAM
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., believed that the “frequent thread” on former Particular Counsel Jack Smith’s alleged spying on congressional Republicans was their assist of President Donald Trump. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos)
She believed the “frequent thread” behind the previous particular counsel’s probe, which was carried out in 2023, was as a result of “the eight of us are all Republicans. All of us assist President Trump.”
Blackburn and Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Invoice Hagerty, R-Wyo., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., have been all reportedly a part of Smith’s investigation.
In response, Blackburn and lots of the others that have been allegedly surveilled by Smith need to see him disbarred.
“That is about guaranteeing we’ve got one tier of justice, and that we cease this two tiers of justice,” Blackburn stated. “And if they will do that to eight sitting U.S. senators, what might they presumably — I imply, take into consideration how, what they should be doing to conservatives on this nation.”
Final week, she and Graham, Tuberville, Sullivan and Kelly despatched a letter to Legal professional Common Pam Bondi demanding an investigation into Smith, and that he be referred to the Division of Justice’s (DOJ) Workplace of Skilled Accountability.
HAGERTY PRESSES VERIZON OVER FBI’S ACCESS TO HIS PHONE RECORDS DURING JACK SMITH PROBE
Particular Counsel Jack Smith delivers remarks on an unsealed indictment together with 4 felony counts in opposition to former President Donald Trump in Washington, Aug. 1, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Photos)
The tip aim of the investigation is to see Smith disbarred from each New York and Tennessee, two states the place he holds a license to apply legislation. Blackburn argued that Smith’s alleged spying on her and others was a “First Modification and Fourth Modification violation.”
Her newest push in opposition to the previous particular counsel got here on the heels of one other letter despatched to AT&T, T-Cellular and Verizon demanding why the cellphone carriers allegedly allowed Smith and the FBI below the Biden administration to trace their communications.
“You’ll have thought that, due to the Saved Data Act and the First Modification, the Fourth Modification and the Speech and Debate Clause, that no less than Verizon, who’s my wi-fi provider, would have knowledgeable me that there was a request on my data,” she stated.
JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYS
President Donald Trump listens to Argentina’s President Javier Milei (not pictured) within the Cupboard Room on the White Home in Washington, Oct. 14, 2025. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
“However in fact, there was nothing given to us, and it is the rationale that we despatched the letter to Verizon after which adopted it with a letter … to the DOJ on Jack Smith,” she continued.
Smith is one among a handful of former officers which have been focused by the DOJ below the Trump administration. He’s at present below investigation by the Workplace of Particular Counsel for alleged Hatch Act violations, which bars authorities staff from collaborating in political actions.
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Then there are federal indictments in opposition to former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly making false statements and obstructing justice, and former Nationwide Safety Advisor John Bolton for allegedly mishandling categorised paperwork.
Blackburn was one among many Republicans that railed in opposition to so-called political witch hunts in opposition to President Donald Trump when he was out of workplace. When requested what the distinction between the indictments in opposition to Trump and his allies in comparison with the newest crop of former officers, she stated it was about accountability.
“These should be investigated in order that this sort of stuff stops,” Blackburn stated. “And one of many variations, I believe you see between Democrats and Republicans, is Democrats repeatedly circle the wagons, they usually push issues below the rug, after which they need two tiers of justice. And with Republicans, the main target is on accountability and transparency, and I believe that may be a main, main distinction.”
