Sullivan ‘has no plans to sue’ for $500K included in deal to end federal government shutdown
- Mark Sabbatini
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
Eight GOP senators are eligible to file lawsuits due to investigation of their phone records during Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
The deal ending the federal government shutdown that got final Congressional passage Wednesday contains a provision allowing eight Republican senators, including Alaska’s Dan Sullivan, to sue the government for $500,000 due to investigations of their phone records related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
A spokesperson for Sullivan stated in emails to the Juneau Independent that he was not involved in adding the clause to the bill ending the shutdown and he doesn’t intend to seek the compensation offered.
Senator Sullivan just learned about the provision when he was reading the bill. He is still evaluating it," Amanda Coyne stated in an email on Monday before the Senate voted to pass the bill. On Wednesday, before the House passed the bill, she wrote Senator Sullivan has no plans to sue."
Phone records of the eight senators were seized during an investigation by special counsel Jack Smith of the Jan. 6 riots. Part of the investigation focused on calls President Donald Trump and advisor Rudy Giuliani were making to senators in an attempt to prevent certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, with Sullivan among those whose number was called by Giuliani on the evening of Jan. 6, according to the final report of the investigation.
Sullivan’s office, responding after the report was issued in December of 2022, stated the senator never spoke to Giuliani. Coyne, in an email at the time to the Anchorage Daily News, stated Sullivan received two calls from a number he didn’t recognize and did not answer.
“Because of the chaos that ensued on January 6th, it took at least two additional days for Sen. Sullivan to even listen to the messages that were left on his phone by this unknown number,” Coyne stated. “When he was able to listen, he realized they were from Giuliani. Giuliani actually had the wrong number, as the message made clear the calls were intended for another Senator, not Sen. Sullivan.”
Sullivan and other senators whose phone records were obtained have since accused Smith of federal overreach. Democratic lawmakers and Biden administration officials have stated investigating phone calls made to congressional members responsible for certifying the election was a legitimate part of the Jan. 6 probe.
The clause allowing the senators to seek legal compensation was part of an agreement between Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York), The Washington Post reported Wednesday. The provision "would also allow senators to sue if their phone records or other data are subpoenaed or sought in the future without notifying them, as long as they are not targets of a criminal investigation."
The other seven senators are Tommy Tuberville (Alabama), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), Marsha Blackburn (Tennessee), Ron Johnson (Wisconsin), Cynthia Lummis (Wyoming), Bill Hagerty (Tennessee), Josh Hawley (Missouri).
Graham told reporters on Wednesday he definitely planned to file a lawsuit.
“And if you think I’m going to settle this thing for a million dollars?" he said. " No. I want to make it so painful that no one ever [does] this again.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) stated in a social media message that "Republicans are introducing standalone legislation to repeal this provision." However, that measure would also have to pass the Senate and be signed by Trump.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
