The Democrat-led January 6 Committee, which is charged with investigating what it deems the “insurrection” that occurred at the nation’s Capitol on the date its name bears, has ordered telecommunications companies to preserve the phone records of congressional Republicans who participated in the “Stop the Steal” rally.
U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville) is one of the GOP lawmakers the committee is targeting.
In a Wednesday interview on Newsmax’s “National Report,” the North Alabama congressman slammed the committee’s attempts to seek his private phone records.
When asked if he would willingly turn over his phone records to the House Select Committee, Brooks struck a defiant tone as he compared its efforts to that of the Nazi-era German secret police state as well as the former Soviet Union’s chief intelligence agency.
“Absolutely not. They are private communications between my wife and I,” declared Brooks. “What right does this Gestapo, KGB-like entity have to investigate the personal information and communications of myself with my family members, my grandchildren, things of that nature? If it’s limited to information related to January 6, well there’s not anything there I’m concerned about.”
He continued, “But I don’t want them getting their hands on internal campaign communications involving my candidacy for the United States Congress or for the United States Senate. I don’t want them getting their hands on private personal text messages amongst family members. They have no business getting that kind of information. I really hate the idea that they’re trying to turn this into a police state.”
Brooks stated that U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Liz Cheney (R-WY) should leave the House Republican Conference if they fail to remove themselves from the committee.
“Now, I can understand the socialists doing it. I don’t get Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney going along with this,” he declared. “They ought to resign from this committee or if not resign from the GOP Conference, one or the other.”
#Socialists & “Pelosi Republicans” (Cheney & Kinzinger) seek my phone records?
Three results:
1 Total waste of taxpayer money.
2 Boredom for who looks at my records.
3 Russian Collusion Hoax 2.0.
Why not subpoena Socialists who support BLM & ANTIFA?https://t.co/xHz8wdswPN
— Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) August 30, 2021
When asked if there would be any communication found between him and his congressional colleagues or with former President Donald Trump, Brooks said there is no information relevant to the events that occurred on January 6.
“Well, there weren’t any text messages that I can recall with the president of the United States,” said Brooks. “Certainly I communicate with other congressmen on a regular basis. Now, did it relate to the attack on the Capitol? No. But that seemingly is what they want.”
He added, “I haven’t gone over those text messages but I assume that on one side or the other there are probably some caustic words used to describe what is happening in our country, particularly with respect to the Joe Biden administration or Nancy Pelosi, but those are private communications. If it related to the Capitol and the attack on the Capitol that’s one thing. But there’s not anything there. So, I’m not at all worried about that. But I don’t believe they should be allowed to go on a fishing expedition.”
Brooks went on to say the committee obtaining the phone records of sitting members of Congress would be in violation of the Fourth Amendment’s probable cause requirements.
“We have rules and laws against unreasonable searches and seizures, and by golly, they have to come up with some evidence, some proof, some probable cause as a basis for engaging in this kind of expedition. They haven’t because there’s not anything,” concluded Brooks.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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