Top executives from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile were torched by Senate Republicans Tuesday over their role in quietly handing over GOP lawmakers’ phone records to special counsel Jack Smith during his 2020 election probe — without any notification to the members of Congress being surveilled.
The Judiciary subcommittee hearing, led by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, put telecom lawyers under intense scrutiny over what Republicans are calling a serious constitutional breach. Blackburn slammed the disclosures as the “worst weaponization of government in modern American history,” while Sen. Josh Hawley blasted Verizon’s compliance as “chilling.”
AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are under oath this morning to answer why they did or did not comply with Jack Smith’s secret subpoenas from Arctic Frost.
Those who enabled a weaponized DOJ’s invasion of privacy are going to answer to the American people today. pic.twitter.com/rswXkhhRT5
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) February 10, 2026
“You ought to hide your head in a bag,” Sen. John Kennedy told Verizon’s general counsel Chris Miller, before turning to AT&T and T-Mobile’s lawyers with a warning: “This isn’t over — and all the rest of you should too.”
The uproar centers around at least 84 subpoenas quietly issued for the call metadata — known as toll analysis — of 20 Republican lawmakers, including current senators like Blackburn, Hawley, Lindsey Graham, and Ron Johnson. The phone logs were surrendered under non-disclosure orders, which the telecom lawyers argued tied their hands legally.
Verizon’s Miller insisted the company was compelled to comply, but Graham was unconvinced. “If any of you had challenged these guys, they’d have gone away. They’re on a fishing expedition,” he said, highlighting how AT&T had questioned two subpoenas — prompting Smith’s team to withdraw them without legal pushback.
AT&T’s general counsel David McAtee confirmed that the company hesitated when asked to release the records of Sen. Ted Cruz and another member, causing Smith’s office to back down. McAtee added that the companies have since revised their internal policies on congressional subpoenas.
But the anger didn’t end there. Graham erupted over what he called Verizon’s breach of its multimillion-dollar contract with the Senate, which requires notifying the Senate of any legal requests involving lawmakers. “You failed me!” he shouted.
Sen. Mike Lee, whose T-Mobile records were seized, was among the many Republican senators calling for consequences, and Sen. Bill Hagerty has already filed a formal consumer complaint against Verizon.
While Senate Democrats like Dick Durbin defended the subpoenas as routine for conspiracy cases, privacy-focused Democrats such as Sen. Ron Wyden have raised concerns over how telecom companies appear to bypass contractual and constitutional obligations to lawmakers.
The most striking moment came when Blackburn quoted Jack Smith’s own testimony, which emphasized that the carriers themselves were responsible for determining the owners of phone lines. “So what is your response to Jack Smith to the Senate?” she asked. Verizon’s Miller deflected, claiming federal officials are “in the best position” to know who is being targeted.
All three companies admitted that Smith’s office or the FBI issued 15 subpoenas to Verizon, four to AT&T, and one to T-Mobile. The companies continue to claim legal compliance — but the political fallout is far from over.
Senate Republicans are now weighing legislation to rein in government surveillance powers and punish carriers that hand over private data without transparency or challenge. As for the telecom giants, their cozy relationship with Washington may be headed for a reckoning.
The post Senate Republicans Erupt Over Secret Phone Records Handoff to Jack Smith: ‘Hide Your Head in a Bag’ appeared first on Real News Now.
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