(Alan Wooten, The Center Square) Employees have been terminated, the CR-15 squad abolished, and an investigation is ongoing by the FBI.
Still, fourth-term Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says the discovery of he and seven other senators being surveilled by the FBI “is chilling.” A Sept. 27, 2023, memo is part of a discovery by the FBI forming the foundation of an accusation Jack Smith, special counsel in former President Joe Biden’s administration, tracked private communications and phone calls in his probe of the events on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol when Donald Trump was a first-term president.
“As chairman of the Judiciary Committee,” Graham said in a video statement he released late Monday, referring to 2021, “I did the job I felt necessary and to believe that the Department of Justice or a special council would subpoena who I called, where I called from should bother everybody. It certainly bothers the hell out of me.”
Fox News Digital was first with the story Monday. On Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media, “Transparency is important and accountability is critical. We promised both, and this is what promises kept looks like. This FBI is delivering.”
The CR-15 squad was a public corruption unit in the Washington Field Office of the FBI.
Graham said in 2023, his phone data was subpoenaed by Smith’s probe in connection to an investigation of Donald Trump. The memo includes a case identification number and is called, “Arctic Forst – Election Law Matters – Sensitive Investigative Matter – CAST.”
CAST is an acronym for the cellular analysis survey team within the FBI.
Graham said data was collected Jan. 4-7 in 2021, showing call participants, duration and general locations. He said phone companies were asked to provide the information. Graham said Smith was trying to determine “whether or not I should certify the election.”
“This was done in 2023 in the middle of a presidential election cycle where I’m supporting President Trump,” Graham said in his video message Monday.
Not only did he support him, he was first to endorse among sitting senators.
In addition to Graham, Sens. Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania are on the memo. All are Republicans.
“This FBI discovered and exposed the weaponization of law enforcement,” Patel wrote on social media midday Tuesday. “We are on it.”
Graham said Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino are to be congratulated.
“One way to make sure this doesn’t happen again is to fire the people who were behind it and hold the government accountable for violating the rights and separation of powers that exist in this country,” Graham said.
