Blackburn Demands Boasberg Testify Over Subpoenas for GOP Lawmakers’ Phone Records
Smith’s team maintains the subpoenas for limited phone metadata complied with Justice Department policy.
Overview
- Redacted court documents released by Sen. Chuck Grassley confirm Chief Judge James Boasberg signed May 2023 subpoenas and nondisclosure orders in grand-jury matters under D.C. local rules.
- The orders sought call-detail and subscriber data for a four-day window around Jan. 6 for 10 senators and one House lawmaker, not the contents of calls or messages.
- Carrier gag orders instructed Verizon and AT&T not to notify the targets; Verizon complied and AT&T did not, according to the filings.
- Sen. Marsha Blackburn is pressing for Boasberg to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and some Republicans are calling for his impeachment.
- Disclosures link the requests to the FBI’s “Arctic Frost” and subsequent special-counsel work, with reporting by Grassley and allies describing a wider set of subpoenas whose scope and authorization details are still being examined.