Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is calling for accountability after Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) recently revealed that he was among the 44 Members of Congress whom the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, under the Biden Administration, spied on as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President Donald Trump.
The Context
Sen. Grassley revealed on Tuesday that Smith's investigators bypassed a mandatory Filter Team review process, meaning they accessed privileged information in texts between Members of Congress, Democrat and Republican, and between White House officials during Trump's first term.
This is despite the fact that communications by Members of Congress that are part of their official legislative duties are immune from criminal prosecution.
Notably, when the Smith investigators obtained the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in August 2023 to provide all text messages from October 2020 through January 20, 2021, from Trump, numerous White House officials, and the 44 Members of Congress, the investigative team began downloading and viewing the texts within 90 minutes, without ever waiting for the privileged information to be sorted out.
Biggs's Response
"As a student of history, I've long read about totalitarian governments that spy on and persecute political opponents to squelch dissent," Rep. Biggs said in a statement. "I never believed that these authoritarian practices would be found at the highest levels of our American government, let alone that I would be a target of my own government for my lawful actions as a representative of the people and my political affiliation."
Rep. Biggs further emphasized how "If our government was willing to target Members of Congress, then they are certainly and shamelessly targeting everyday Americans without fear of reprisal."
"Those who knew about, supported, and led this operation against the opposition party – among others during the Biden Administration – must be held accountable for their actions," the Arizona congressman concluded. "We must send a message to future administrations that these efforts are un-American and unlawful, and that these will not be tolerated from any political party."
