Senator Grassley Demands Clarity from Attorney General Bondi Over FBI Surveillance Allegations
A heated Senate session saw Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley seek a complete accounting of how the FBI reportedly monitored Republican members’ conversations under the Biden administration from Attorney General Pam Bondi. After the Senate Republican majority called nine GOP members of Congress’s privacy breach unlawful, Grassley began investigating.
The Senate Judiciary Committee report cited an FBI document indicating “tolling data” collection—metadata about calls by Senators Lindsey Graham, Josh Hawley, Marsha Blackburn, Ron Johnson, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, and Representative Mike Kelly. The committee believes the FBI’s special counsel team used similar data in its 2020 election overturn probe. Grassley said the document does not disclose call content, but surveillance of sitting senators is troubling.
Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel should be held accountable for the “outrage” and “unconstitutional breach,” according to Grassley. He demanded “accountability”. He also lauded Bondi’s chosen DOJ initiatives for reorienting the agency’s mission. He pressed whether DOJ or FBI employees would be punished. Bondi said she could not discuss details publicly but that the department will investigate every aspect of the incident, saying that she had long meetings with Patel.
Bondi termed Operation Arctic Frost a “unconstitutional, undemocratic abuse of power.” She said the DOJ is focussing on violent crime, protecting children, and not politicizing investigations under her leadership. Bondi also accused Democrats of politicizing the proceedings and said that the DOJ’s mission should not be influenced by politics.
Hawley and other GOP senators identified in the surveillance charges pressed Bondi for straight answers, asking who ordered the phone monitoring. Bondi did not identify names. Congress and the Justice Department are increasingly at odds over oversight and institutional independence.
DOJ grant programs and Public Safety Officers’ Benefits were also investigated by Grassley. He requested Bondi to demonstrate corrective efforts if grants had been mismanaged or mismatched under previous administrations. Bondi agreed to evaluate past grant decisions and rescinded awards individually. She also committed to overhaul the benefits program, which Grassley said mistreated victims and first responders.
Longstanding issues about federal law enforcement targeting political opponents escalated after the hearing. Bondi promised to report in writing on which DOJ and FBI employees will be punished and whether internal measures will avoid overreach in response to Grassley.
The DOJ scandal raises fundamental questions about the balance between national security investigations and constitutional rights. From the Pentagon to courtrooms, the public will watch to see if the administration meets legislative openness and accountability standards.
Sources
Reuters
Associated Press
Committee press release
Senate Judiciary Committee materials
