Overview
- A new law signed by President Donald Trump lets senators sue the Justice Department for at least $500,000 per instance of undisclosed data seizures and applies retroactively to 2022.
- House Republicans say they were blindsided; a repeal bill has been filed, and reports indicate leaders are moving toward a vote this week.
- Johnson said Thune added the language to deter future DOJ overreach tied to the Arctic Frost subpoenas and proposed revising the date to avoid payouts for past seizures.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham says he will sue and seek more than $1 million, and Sen. Tommy Tuberville vowed broad lawsuits, while Sens. Ron Johnson, Bill Hagerty, and Dan Sullivan say they will not seek damages.
- The Senate-only remedy, which could cover roughly 10 GOP senators, has angered House members such as Rep. Mike Kelly who were also subpoenaed but are excluded from the new legal recourse.