Republican Representative Mike Turner, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, said the Department of Justice under the first Trump administration committed a “grave constitutional violation” when it secretly obtained phone records and emails belonging to Congressional members and staffers.
Turner attacked Trump’s DOJ for collecting communication logs from 43 congressional staffers and two House Democrats , which was revealed in a report from Inspector General Michael Horowitz.
“This report lays out outrageous behavior by the Department of Justice,” Turner told CNN on Tuesday. “This is a grave constitutional violation.”
Between 2017 and 2018, prosecutors utilized subpoenas to demand that Apple and Google collect and hand over data, without approval from a court or from then-attorney general Bill Barr. They then issued gag orders to prevent the companies from informing those targeted.
Federal investigators targeted two unnamed House members, congressional staffers and journalists as part of its investigation into the source of leaked sensitive information.
Though some of the information had been previously reported, Horowitz’s new report unveiled the broad scope of the DOJ’s effort.
Turner said it was an example of “the executive branch, in effect, spying on Congress” – which threatens the integrity of the separation of powers.
“That weaponization goes right to the heart of really what we expect of the oversight processes,” Turner added.
Chairman @RepMikeTurner to @PamelaBrownCNN on the @JusticeOIG’s report:
— House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntel) December 10, 2024
“The Department of Justice was accessing emails and phone records of Members of Congress and their staff merely because they had access to classified information. This is a grave constitutional violation.” pic.twitter.com/lATtkuc8K3
But Turner emphasized the impact of the spying probe, and recommended lawmakers take action to pass legislation that would require approval by a court and the attorney general for subpoenas like those used during the Trump administration.
“This affects, as the report says by Inspector General Horwitz, the constitutional authorities and the individual constitutional rights of the individuals that were impacted,” Turner noted.
Horowitz’s report did not recommend formal charges be brought forward because it did not find evidence that the prosecutors were politically motivated or retaliated.
Among those targeted by the spying probe was Trump’s FBI director nominee, Kash Patel who, at the time, served as a congressional staffer for the House Intelligence Committee.
Turner said Patel being part of the situation made him an even better candidate for the position because it showed his understanding of “the weaponization that has happened” within intelligence agencies and departments.
Patel has previously stated he wants to go after reporters.
