Cory Booker
Role at the time: U.S. senator from New Jersey and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, listed by the Justice Department among members whose texts with White House personnel were obtained
Statement summary
During his questioning of Smith, Sen. Cory Booker said Republicans were trying to say the investigation was partisan, and said his own records and text messages, and those of Karen Bass, were also swept up.
“And they're trying to say this is partisanship. My records were swept up. My text messages were part of it. Karen Bass's text messages were a part of it.”
Senate Judiciary Committee's archived video of the September 29, 2026 hearing. Sen. Cory Booker responded to Republican claims that the investigation was partisan and said his own records and text messages were among those obtained.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
The case asks whether the collection of members' records was proper. Booker did not address the Speech or Debate or nondisclosure-order arguments. He disputed the idea that the collection was partisan by saying his own records and text messages, and Karen Bass's, were also included. That challenges a characterization without addressing the collection's legality, so we labeled it Challenged the characterization.