Sen. Ron Johnson says he won’t take the government to court for seizing his phone records, though he’s leaving the option on the table. Swept into a federal investigation tied to January 6, the Wisconsin Republican declined to pursue damages but insists the episode underscores what he calls a broader pattern of federal overreach and political targeting.
According to reports, his phone records, along with several other Republican senators, were obtained by FBI investigators working under Jack Smith in a probe of election related matters and January 6th.
Johnson has said that he did not initiate legal action over the records seizure. Johnson said he “has no plans at this time” to sue the government, explaining that suing would be for the purpose of exposing what he calls “the corrupt weaponization of federal law enforcement” rather than collecting a reward.
The government-funding bill that ultimately ended the long federal shutdown included a provision allowing senators to sue for up to $500,000 if their data were obtained without proper notice. That language was added in response to the record-seizure issue surrounding Johnson and the other senators.
During the recent shutdown, Johnson repeatedly emphasized the need to keep the government open and not let federal employees or critical services be held hostage. Johnson introduced the Shutdown Fairness Act, which would guarantee that “excepted” federal employees (those required to keep working during a lapse in appropriations) are paid on time, even during a shutdown.
Johnson also sponsored the Eliminate Shutdowns Act, legislation aimed at preventing future government shutdowns by automatically extending funding at prior-year rates when new appropriations bills have not been passed. (RELATED: Wisconsin University Falls Victim to Wave of Active Shooter Hoaxes)
The inclusion of Johnson’s phone-records dispute in this larger investigation highlights a combination of improper government overreach and a lack of transparency. While he declined to pursue damages, he has kept up a strong focus on institutional reform and accountability. (RELATED: Republicans Furious with Wisconsin DHS Language on Mothers)
