Lindsey Graham eyes big payday from Biden-era phone data seizure

Published November 19, 2025 8:42pm ET



Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) unleashed on GOP critics Wednesday, seeking to repeal a new provision bolstering the ability to sue the Justice Department for seizing senators’ phone records without their knowledge during a Biden-era investigation.

Graham, whose records were subpoenaed in former special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 “Arctic Frost” inquiry, intends to mount lawsuits with or without the recently passed law to seek hefty payouts from the DOJ and phone carrier Verizon beyond the minimum $500,000 stipulation.  

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