Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has sent a strong letter to Verizon CEO Daniel Schulman, demanding a full explanation for the company’s decision to release the cell phone data of Republican members of Congress, including his own, as part of the Department of Justice’s “Arctic Frost” investigation.
The Senator initiated this action following news that he was among several Republicans targeted in the probe, which he describes as a “witch hunt” and an “unlawful investigation.”
Scott has also called for a Justice Department investigation into the matter and held a press conference earlier today alongside Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) to address the issue.
In his letter, Senator Scott directly alleges that the Biden administration’s actions constituted “secretive surveillance of Congress” and a “desecration of our constitutional separation of powers,” possibly violating federal law.
He specifically references 2 U.S.C. § 6628(c), which he states allows a provider for a Senate office to notify the office of any legal process seeking Senate data. Scott claims that an Obama-appointed judge’s subsequent gag order, which explicitly forbade notification, appears to have violated this statute.
Furthermore, he cites 2 U.S.C. § 6628(d), which mandates that a court “shall quash” or “modify” a subpoena if a Senate office or provider files a motion to quash a subpoena requiring the disclosure of Senate data.
Senator Scott claims that while a competitor, AT&T, appears to have refused to comply with the subpoena and the accompanying gag order, Verizon “appears to have rolled over and complied with the unlawful subpoena and cover-up.”
He challenges Verizon’s stated defense that a court order left them “no choice but to comply,” arguing that AT&T’s refusal suggests otherwise, and that Verizon “just failed to make the right one.” As a Verizon customer whose data was reportedly targeted, Senator Scott expressed “deep disappointment” that the company failed to notify his office, as provided for in Section 6628(c), and failed to file a motion to quash to protect his information.
The Senator is demanding a full explanation from Verizon, requesting answers to be provided no later than November 17, 2025.
He seeks detailed responses on why Verizon failed to file a motion to quash, what measures the company has taken to ensure this does not happen again (including changes to service agreements and training protocols), and what disciplinary measures were taken against those within the company who complied with the subpoena.
Scott emphasized that he asks these questions not only for himself but also on behalf of the “millions of Americans who believe their data is safe with Verizon.”
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