Watchdog Report Reveals DOJ Surveillance of Lawmakers, Staff, and Media

Inspector General finds constitutional concerns in Trump-era investigations into leaks, targeting Congress and journalists without sufficient oversight.

The Department of Justice secretly obtained phone and email records of two lawmakers, 43 congressional staffers, and eight reporters during leak investigations from 2017 to 2020.
The investigations included both Democratic and Republican staffers and focused on individuals with access to classified information, but no charges were filed in the cases.
Inspector General Michael Horowitz criticized the DOJ for failing to follow its own policies, including neglecting to notify senior officials or courts about the targets' roles in Congress.
The report highlighted concerns over the separation of powers, warning that such surveillance risks undermining Congress’s oversight role and chilling whistleblower communications.
Recommendations for policy changes were made, but concerns persist as the incoming Trump administration may reverse existing safeguards for journalists and lawmakers.