Suddenly Democrats who have long turned a blind eye to corruption within the Department of Justice (DOJ) are now worried about its weaponization.
Their timing could not be more disingenuous; it came during a hearing Tuesday, less than 24 hours after clear evidence that former President Joe “Autopen” Biden used the FBI to spy on Republicans. Documents show the FBI obtained cell phone records of eight Republican senators and a U.S. Representative for Jan. 4-8, 2021, as part of the “Arctic Frost” investigation. Arctic Frost eventually became Special Counsel Jack Smith‘s elector lawfare case against Trump.
The Federalist’s Shawn Fleetwood reported the following lawmakers were targeted: Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Penn; and Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming. Some of these Republicans were in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday when Democrats had their great awakening while they were collecting testimony from Attorney General Pam Bondi.
President Donald Trump “embodies” weaponization, crowed Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said he is “gravely concerned” about what will happen when Trump, “demands” Bondi prosecute individuals he views as “opponents or enemies.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Ark., acknowledged that Democrats are now concerned about targeting political enemies.
“I just wrote it down, because I want to be sure I heard it correctly,” Hawley said. “I’ve heard them say that Joe Biden never targeted his political enemies. Joe Biden never directed his attorney general to target his political opponents. Huh? That’s interesting, because I could have sworn that yesterday we learned that the FBI tapped my phone.”
He mentioned all the senators who had their phones compromised.
“Gee, it sure looks like targeting political opponents to me, and yet I haven’t heard a word from that side of the dais about any concern whatsoever. We’ve got nothing but concerns today, but no concern at all for a Justice Department that is tapping the phones of sitting United States senators, because — who knows why? They don’t like them? They’re members of the opposition party? They’re Republicans? They’re conservatives?”
The phone spying was ordered by special prosecutor Jack Smith, who reported directly to then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, who reported to Biden.
He also showed a memo in which the FBI attempts to recruit informants into Catholic Church parishes around the country.
“The targeting of Catholics in this country because Joe Biden and his FBI didn’t like Catholics who went to a certain kind of mass. I mean, good God in heaven. What is happening to this country? What happened under Joe Biden?”
Next Hawley showed a photo of a man on the floor being arrested.
“How about this, the infamous school board memo where Merrick Garland, at the direction of the White House, issued a memo activating the FBI counterterrorism division against parents who attended school board meetings and had the temerity to ask what their kids were being taught. And some of those parents were treated like this. Let’s just remember … how parents were treated — treated like this man, a parent at a school board meeting, I think, in Virginia, who was drug out of the school board meeting. He’s bloody there. You can see it.”
Next Hawley showed a picture of Mark Houck, a pro-life advocate who prayed on sidewalks outside abortion mills. An FBI SWAT team raided his home early in the morning, terrifying his children. And many more pro-life advocates were jailed under Biden.
“This is what was happening under Joe Biden. United States senators: spied upon. Former president — the political opponent of the president of the time — targeted, prosecuted. Pro-lifers: targeted, prosecuted. Catholics: targeted, prosecuted. Ninety-two conservative organizations put under surveillance: targeted for potential prosecution. Gee, I don’t know. Would you call that an example of weaponization, Attorney General Bondi?”
Bondi called it “the ultimate weaponization” and assured him that under Trump, it has ended.
Hawley said he believes the Biden years represent the worst abuses of power in the history of the United States, and he called for a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate each of the situations he listed. He urged Bondi to learn who approved the wire taps on phones, who signed off on the Catholic memo, who authorized the prosecution of Mark Houck, and who terrorized pro-lifers.
He asked committee Chair Chuck Grassley to hold hearings on these matters soon.