The controversy surrounding the Department of Justice’s alleged surveillance of lawmakers intensified following a Capitol Hill appearance by Attorney General Pam Bondi. In a revealing moment, Bondi showcased records detailing which unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files members of Congress had reviewed, leading to accusations of inappropriate oversight.
During a Thursday interview with MS NOW, several Republican senators, including Rick Scott from Florida and Josh Hawley from Missouri, expressed ignorance of the situation, noting their focus was primarily elsewhere. Hawley remarked that the notion of the DOJ tracking lawmaker searches would indeed surprise him, highlighting the unusualness of such an allegation.
The situation escalated after Bondi was seen with a document showing the search history of Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington. Jayapal, who had a tense exchange with Bondi during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, argued that the DOJ’s access to this information amounted to surveilling congressional members, labeling it “totally inappropriate.” She speculated whether the early access to the files was a tactic for the DOJ to monitor lawmakers’ inquiries.
While many Republicans displayed indifference towards the DOJ’s tracking of what documents lawmakers were examining, a few voiced caution. Rep. Nancy Mace from South Carolina claimed that documents searched by lawmakers were being tagged and timestamped by the DOJ, although she did not disclose how she obtained this information. Speaker Mike Johnson initially dismissed the idea as “unsubstantiated” but later shared his concern that such tracking, if true, would be inappropriate.
In contrast, some Republicans remained staunch supporters of the DOJ. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan contended that it was “rich” for Democrats to complain about surveillance when the DOJ had previously obtained phone records from numerous Republicans during investigations.
Senator Lindsey Graham expressed uncertainty regarding the appropriateness of the DOJ’s practices, contrasting it with his outrage over the retrieval of his phone records in a previous incident.
Democratic lawmakers swiftly criticized the perceived double standards within Republican ranks, with Jayapal emphasizing the need for bipartisan condemnation of the tracking practices. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries highlighted the concerning precedent set by the Trump administration, asserting that the current state of affairs undermined the principles of coequal branches of government.
Calls for accountability were echoed among Democrats, with Senator Richard Blumenthal arguing for the necessity of privacy in legislative duties. Representative Jamie Raskin branded the situation as an egregious violation of the separation of powers, asserting that such actions rendered governance increasingly Orwellian.
As frustrations grow over surveillance practices, both parties are challenged to address this growing concern over government accountability and the boundaries of legislative oversight. The outcome of these discussions may significantly shape the future of congressional relationships with federal agencies.