Telecom Giants Grilled on Capitol Attack Data Access

The largest U.S. telecom companies, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, were questioned by a Senate subcommittee after their role in providing phone data for a probe into the January 6 Capitol attack was revealed. The data, requested by a Justice Department special prosecutor, became a point of contention on privacy grounds as it involved eight senators.

During a two-hour hearing, telecom representatives testified about handling these requests amidst criticism for not thoroughly reviewing the subpoenas they received. Verizon's lawyer emphasized evolving procedures to enhance lawmaker privacy protections, stating that the company would notify lawmakers of future records requests or oppose secretive subpoenas.

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin highlighted Republican attempts to divert attention from Trump's election interference. Although Trump was charged in the Capitol attack, the case was halted after he won the 2024 election, citing a Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president.