Adam Schiff
Role at the time: U.S. senator from California and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee
Defended or excused
Statement summary
In his remarks to Smith, Sen. Adam Schiff said that despite his Republican colleagues' outrage over Smith requesting toll records because Rudy Giuliani and other co-conspirators were calling some members of Congress, the Barr Justice Department also sought toll records from members of Congress, which he said involved Democrats' records, with "not a peep" from those colleagues. He said that apparently did not violate the Speech or Debate Clause, and said members' toll records were requested as witnesses, not targets.
“for all of the outrage of my colleagues over your requesting toll records because Rudy Giuliani and other co-conspirators were calling some of the members of this body ... the Barr Justice Department sought toll records from members of Congress. Not a peep from my colleagues about that ... That apparently was okay. That apparently doesn't violate speech and debate. ... My colleagues talked about the stress on members of having their toll records requested as witnesses, not even targets.”