FBI Shuts Down CR‑15 After Disclosure That Task Force Monitored GOP Senators
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the dismantling of CR‑15 and said several agents tied to the unit have been fired or reassigned after disclosures that the task force analyzed call‑metadata for nine Republican senators and Rep. Mike Kelly in connection with the Jan. 6 special‑counsel probe. The apparently grand‑jury‑authorized Sept. 27, 2023 "preliminary toll analysis" examined dates and times (not call content) covering days during the week of Jan. 6, 2021, and the FBI has opened an internal investigation and pledged further accountability.
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📌 Key Facts
- The FBI analyzed basic call metadata (call logs, dates/times/timestamps) — not the content of calls — covering several days during the week of Jan. 6, 2021.
- The analysis appears in a document dated Sept. 27, 2023 described as a “preliminary toll analysis”; senators say the document was disclosed after a request from Sen. Chuck Grassley and that the step was authorized by a grand jury.
- The records analyzed in the document correspond to nine Republican lawmakers: Sens. Lindsey Graham, Bill Hagerty, Josh Hawley, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson, Cynthia Lummis, Marsha Blackburn, and Rep. Mike Kelly.
- The metadata review was conducted as part of the special counsel (Jack Smith) probe into Jan. 6‑related efforts to overturn the 2020 election (the investigation described in reporting as now shuttered).
- FBI Director Kash Patel announced the CR‑15 corruption squad/task group has been dismantled following revelations about the monitoring of GOP lawmakers; he said several agents tied to the unit have been fired or reassigned, though some reports note limited clarity about who was fired versus reassigned.
- Patel said the FBI has opened an internal investigation, pledged further accountability measures (posting statements on X), and was publicly supported by FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino in calls for transparency and accountability.
- Sen. Josh Hawley and other Republicans sharply condemned the monitoring; Hawley called it “Biden’s Stasi,” deemed it an “abuse of power beyond Watergate,” and publicly called for a special counsel and prosecutions of anyone who broke the law.
📰 Sources (6)
FBI shuts down corruption group, fires agents after they monitored GOP lawmakers
New information:
- FBI Director Kash Patel publicly said CR‑15 — a corruption task group — was 'dismantled' following revelations about monitoring of GOP lawmakers.
- Patel said several agents tied to the unit have been fired or reassigned (Axios notes the firings but says clarity remains if fired or reassigned).
- Axios links the action to a Fox News‑obtained document showing 'preliminary toll analysis' of communications from nine Republican senators.
FBI analyzed phone records of senators as part of Trump Jan. 6 probe, lawmakers say
New information:
- Names the specific lawmakers whose records were analyzed: Sen. Lindsey Graham, Sen. Bill Hagerty, Sen. Josh Hawley, Sen. Dan Sullivan, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Sen. Ron Johnson, Sen. Cynthia Lummis, Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Rep. Mike Kelly.
- Provides the date on the FBI document: Sept. 27, 2023.
- Clarifies the data type and timeframe: basic call‑metadata (dates/times, not content) covering several days during the week of Jan. 6, 2021.
- Notes that senators disclosed the document in response to a request from Sen. Chuck Grassley and that investigators said the step was authorized by a grand jury.
FBI fires agents, dismantles corruption squad after probe unveils monitoring of GOP senators, Patel says
New information:
- FBI Director Kash Patel announced the bureau has terminated employees connected to the matter and abolished the CR‑15 public‑corruption squad.
- Patel said the FBI has initiated an ongoing internal investigation and posted statements on X promising further accountability measures.
- FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino publicly echoed the director's statements of transparency and accountability.
Hawley rips Jack Smith’s ‘Biden’s Stasi’ probe, calls alleged spying ‘abuse of power beyond Watergate’
New information:
- Sen. Josh Hawley’s extended, on‑the‑record condemnation using the phrase 'Biden’s Stasi' and calling for a 'full investigation' and prosecution of anyone who violated the law.
- Explicit statement in this piece clarifying the tracking involved call logs and timestamps (metadata) rather than the content of calls, repeated as part of Hawley’s reaction.
- Public call by Hawley for appointment of a special counsel devoted to investigating the matter and questions about who ordered/approved the surveillance.
FBI analyzed some Republican lawmakers' phone records as part of Trump Jan. 6 probe
New information:
- CBS names nine lawmakers listed in the Sept. 27, 2023 'preliminary toll analysis': Sens. Lindsey Graham, Bill Hagerty, Josh Hawley, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson, Cynthia Lummis, Marsha Blackburn, and Rep. Mike Kelly.
- The FBI analysis examined call metadata (date/time) but not call content.
- The document is dated Sept. 27, 2023 and the senators say it was found in response to Sen. Chuck Grassley’s request.
- Senators disclosed the analysis and said it was authorized by a grand jury; the probe in question was the now‑shuttered special counsel/Jackson Smith investigation into Jan. 6‑related efforts to overturn 2020 results.