Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said he will sue anyone involved in monitoring his phone records.
Graham appeared on Fox News’ Hannity on Tuesday night. He discussed explosive allegations about government surveillance of GOP lawmakers.
According to an exclusive Fox News Digital report, Graham and other Republicans had their private communications tracked. Former special counsel Jack Smith allegedly monitored their phone calls. This was part of his investigation into the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Graham called the alleged action an abuse of power. The monitoring occurred 30 months after Jan. 6. There was no reason to believe he had been involved in a crime.
“Here’s what I believe. If he [Trump] had never announced he was going to run for president, none of this would have happened. They were trying to destroy his comeback. This was all orchestrated by Jack Smith, Alvin Bragg, Fanni Willis, Letitia James to destroy this man so he could not win in 2024. I’ve seen this movie before. I am going to look at what happened to me and my fellow senators. If they did this without good reason and without cause, I’m going to sue the crap out of these people.”
Host Sean Hannity asked if Graham would include Smith directly in his lawsuit.
Graham replied he would sue whoever he is able to.
“Whoever I can sue on behalf of the future of people who will come after me, we cannot allow the abuse of power to go … unchecked. One guy went to jail for a year and Crossfire Hurricane. [Former FBI Director James] Comey is finally being looked at after all of these years. If they don’t pay a price now, they’ll keep doing it.”
Graham continued with more context about the timing of actions against Trump.
“But I just want you to understand from the time President Trump announced he was running for president in 2022, by 2023, there were 91 indictments against him for a bunch of BS.”
“Jack Smith released a document about why he thought Trump was guilty in October, right before the election, violating protocol of the Department of Justice. And October the 24th, about two weeks before the 24 election, Jack Smith released to the public his brief regarding the allegations against Trump.”
“This stinks to high heaven. I’m tired of it. We’ve got new people in town to clean this mess up. And my goal is not to do this to Democrats, to make sure it’s never done to anybody in the future. And those of us that were wronged, if we were wrong[ed], pay a price!”
In 2023, Smith and his Arctic Frost team allegedly tracked phone calls of multiple Republican lawmakers. The list includes Graham and several other GOP senators.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee was allegedly monitored. So was Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri also appeared on the list.
Other senators include Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, and Dan Sullivan of Alaska. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and GOP Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly were also allegedly tracked.
According to an FBI official who spoke with Fox News Digital, Smith’s team could see specific details. They allegedly saw the phone numbers the lawmakers called. They saw the location where calls originated from.
They also saw the location where calls were received.
The alleged monitoring was reportedly due to potential calls about contesting electoral vote certification. Smith suspected Republicans might have discussed plans to contest the certification.
Graham raised the alleged tracking during a Department of Justice Oversight Committee hearing on Tuesday. He asked Attorney General Pam Bondi if she thought the actions were an abuse of power.
Bondi responded carefully about ongoing investigations.
She could not discuss whether there is or is not an ongoing investigation. But she said Smith and his team wasted $50 million. This money was spent on what Graham described. They were trying to put President Trump in jail prior to the election.
The alleged surveillance represents a stunning abuse of power. Jack Smith monitored sitting U.S. senators without proper cause. He tracked their private communications 30 months after Jan. 6.
There was no evidence these senators committed any crimes. They were simply Republicans who supported President Trump. Smith targeted them as part of his political witch hunt.
Graham is right to promise lawsuits against everyone involved. These officials must face consequences for their actions. Otherwise they will continue abusing their power.
The timing of Smith’s actions against Trump proves the political motivation. Ninety-one indictments came after Trump announced his 2024 campaign. Smith released documents right before the election.
This was a coordinated effort to destroy Trump’s political comeback. Smith, Alvin Bragg, Fanni Willis, and Letitia James all worked together. They wanted to prevent Trump from winning in 2024.
But their plan failed. Trump won anyway despite all their efforts. Now these corrupt officials face accountability.
Graham wants to ensure this never happens again. His lawsuits will establish consequences for abusing government surveillance powers. Future officials will think twice before targeting political opponents.
The senator is fighting for everyone who comes after him. He wants to protect future lawmakers from similar abuses. This is bigger than just Graham or Trump.
This is about preserving constitutional rights and limiting government power.