Republicans tell telecom firms to preserve Dems' phone records after committee requested theirs
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FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., led several Republicans in a letter to telecommunication companies requesting they also preserve the phone records and data of certain Democrats after the Select Committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol riots asked them to do the same for Republicans with ties to the riots.
The letter, exclusively obtained by FOX Business, was sent to 14 telecommunications companies, including social media giants Facebook and Twitter.
The lawmakers wrote that recent reports showed that "Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi’s Select Committee to investigate" the Jan. 6 riots requested the companies turn over their "client's private and confidential data to the Committee."
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"The U.S. Constitution and U.S. Supreme Court precedent prevents committees from obtaining these records and prohibits you from providing them," the group wrote.
"Simply put, neither the Committee nor you have the legal authority to provide those records," they continued. "Adopting the misguided legal theory of the Committee Chairman would undoubtedly end with Congress rifling through the private records of any American."
The Republicans argue that if the companies intend to comply with the committee's request, they should also preserve the phone records for 16 Democrats so future committees could investigate them.
Pelosi, Vice President Harris, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York and Rep. Eric Swalwell of California are among the Democrats on the list.
Additionally, the lawmakers also requested the preservation of phone records of "Squad" members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.
Joining Biggs on the letter are a number of his House Republican colleagues, including Reps. Jody Hice of Georgia, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina.
The companies contacted by the members of Congress were Amazon, AOL, Apple, AT&T, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Snap, Inc., T-Mobile, Twitter, US Cellular, Verizon, Signal and Telegram.
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Biggs sent a letter to many of the same companies last week vowing legal action against companies that comply with the request from the Jan. 6 committee.
Microsoft declined to comment on the letter.
The rest of the companies did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ requests for comment on the letter.