Posted on 11/16/2025 10:16:55 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) changed his opinion on the surprise provision added to his clean continuing resolution that allows senators to sue the federal government for surveilling them without their knowledge.
Johnson appeared on Fox News Sunday following a meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). The pair previously disagreed on the last-minute addition as a source familiar with the provision told the Washington Examiner that Thune included it in the bill at the request of members of the Senate GOP conference, saying there was a “strong appetite for it.” Meanwhile, Johnson said he “did not appreciate” the addition that came with no notice.
“I was kind of frustrated by it — I said that publicly — but I have since talked to Leader Thune and the senators who were involved, and their motivation was pure,” Johnson said Sunday. “They were trying to put teeth into the provision of law that prevents these abuses like Jack Smith and these rogue prosecutors who weaponize the DOJ and go after political enemies. There ought to be a penalty so we can deter further action like that in the future.”
In 2023, Smith tracked the phones of Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Ashley Moody (R-FL), and Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA). At the time, Schmitt and Moody were a part of the Republican Attorneys General Association, which was also under surveillance by Smith.
According to Hawley, Smith was also able to track the locations of several senators under an FBI operation known as Arctic Frost. Smith’s Jan. 6...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
The part that makes me a bit uncomfortable is that these same illegal activities were directed at 1000’s of private citizens in the Trump circle of acquaintances, family, advisers and cabinet members and also J6 Capitol attendees and their families and friends. The government is not going to cover the non-congressional citizens’ legal expenses to sue. Congress knew the illegal activities in 2022. It didn’t become important to them until they found out their own members’ right were being violated…then all-of-a-sudden they care and fund their own attorneys.
He knew about this the whole time. Hes just trying to play the part.
Against this. Their defense is to defund or disband organizations that do this, not to enrich themselves.
No laws should only give remedies to Congressmen. Same with Obamacare and countless other laws where they get a free pass.
Charging the US taxpayer for these actions does not deter anyone from repeating those actions. Only criminal charges will do that.
The purpose is to expose it in a court of law.
Do you know any private citizens with the resources to pursue it?
They didn’t care it was happening to Americans until it happened to them.
Do you want it exposed in court, or not?
I do not believe most ordinary citizens have the resources to expose it in court.
Fine to do. Just don’t make it retroactive for those voting it in.
“You see Mike, here’s how it goes. We prove that the FBI spied on us, and we can sue to make up for the money that Trump has cost us so far by making us oppose the dems.”
If they’ll do this illegally to Senators just imagine what they’ll do to us.
Exactly. Where were these senators when the FBI was arresting and imprisoning private citizens all over the country for exercising their 1st amendment right to peaceably assemble*, based on cell phone records, credit card receipts and facial recognition that placed them at the Capitol Building. These people's homes were searched, personal records and property seized, freedom lost, finances ruined. Spying on a senator is bad, but nothing compared to what J6ers went through.
*Only a quarter of those arrested were charged with crimes that could loosely be considered "violent", and most of those were charges of "resisting or interfering with law enforcement officers".
How many of these senators whose phones were monitored voted to authorize warrantless wiretapping and FISA courts?
Well, most of these Senators authorized them to do so by voting for warrantless wiretaps and FISA courts. These Senators got what was coming to them. They aren’t sacrosanct.
“They were trying to put teeth into the provision of law that prevents these abuses like Jack Smith and these rogue prosecutors who weaponize the DOJ and go after political enemies.
More like they were trying to put CA$H in their bank accounts, Speaker Johnson.
What about all of the MAGA supporters who’ve been abusively spied upon?
Where do they go to get THEIR $500K+++???
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