Josh Hawley
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Missouri, questioning Smith at the Senate Judiciary hearing
Condemned
Statement summary
Questioning Smith at the hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley said the Constitution protects members' work product and phone records and that Smith knew it, and that Smith's office went to the phone companies and hid from the court that it was seeking the records of members of Congress. He said his own phone was one of those obtained.
“The only problem was the Constitution protects members of Congress' work product and their phone records. And you knew that was the case, didn't you? ... You went to the phone companies, and you hid the fact from the court that you were seeking the records of members of Congress, didn't you? You didn't tell the court you were seeking subpoenas from the phone companies for members of Congress, did you? You hid that from the court. Isn't that correct? ... My phone was one of them that you got.”