GOP senators have been caught slipping a self-serving provision into what was supposed to be a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) to end the government shutdown.
This sneaky clause could hand eight GOP senators a whopping $500,000 each in taxpayer-funded payouts, all tied to a potential lawsuit over the DOJ’s aggressive snooping during Special Counsel Jack Smith’s witch hunt against President Trump and the 2020 election integrity fight.
The provision, buried in the legislative package that averted a government shutdown, empowers senators to sue the federal government if law enforcement seizes or subpoenas their data without proper notification.
According to CBS News:
The language appears to allow GOP senators to sue over steps that the Justice Department took during special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into President Trump related to the 2020 election. In October, Senate Republicans revealed an FBI document that showed investigators had obtained phone record data from eight senators and one congressman for calls they made in the days before and after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The records were obtained pursuant to a subpoena in 2023, and the new legislation covers alleged violations dating back to 2022.
[…]
The bill says senators are entitled to $500,000 for each violation of the notification provisions, and it prevents the government from invoking several types of immunity to rebut the claims. Suits can be brought up to five years after a senator is first made aware of a violation, and allows senators to bring suits for any instances that occurred after January 2022. The FBI analyzed the senators’ call records in 2023, meaning they could bring lawsuits under the legislation.
The government can defend against a suit by asserting that a senator was a target of a criminal investigation and by showing that a required notification about the records being pursued was delayed under a court order.
House Speaker Mike Johnson did not hide his anger and said the House would repeal it when asked about the obscure provision.
REPORTER:
You said earlier that you would repeal that FBI provision that’s in the bill right now. Do you have assurances from Leader Thune that he will bring it up in the Senate?
MIKE JOHNSON:
Well, I did call Leader Thune this morning. I want to say that he’s a principled leader; I’ve enjoyed working with him. We’ve got a great working relationship and a good friendship. He’s a trustworthy, honest broker. And that’s why I was so surprised when we found out about that provision.
It was put in our clean CR at the last moment. I’m—just to be honest, I’m very transparent with you all—I was very angry about it.
A lot of my members called me and said, “Did you know about it?” We had no idea. That was dropped in at the last minute. I did not appreciate that, nor did most of the House members. Many of them are very angry about that.
We will be bringing it up. We’ll probably pass it on suspension early next week, and we’ll send it over to the Senate. I had a conversation with Leader Thune early this morning about it.
I think he regretted the way it was done, and we had an honest conversation about that. I didn’t ask him for any commitment at that time because I had a lot on my plate today, and I’ve been busy ever since that conversation we had early this morning.
MIKE JOHNSON:
But I’m going to speak as truthfully to him as I am to all of you and tell you that I think that was way out of line. I don’t think that was a smart thing to do.
I don’t think it was the right thing to do, and the House is going to reverse it. We’re going to repeal that, and I’m going to expect our colleagues in the Senate to do the same thing.
WATCH:
SPEAKER JOHNSON: I AM VERY ANGRY ABOUT THAT LAST-MINUTE PROVISION PUT IN THE RESOLUTION
“I did call Leader Thune this morning.
I want to say that he is a principled leader.
I’ve enjoyed working with him.
We’ve had a great working relationship and a good friendship.… https://t.co/34VPcLeQ7I pic.twitter.com/7pZmdU2xEG
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 13, 2025
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna issued one of the most searing criticisms yet, calling out the senators for using a shutdown crisis to enrich themselves while ignoring the abuse of January 6 defendants.
LUNA:
“These senators slipped in a provision to reopen the government that guarantees them $500k if DOJ settles their Arctic Frost lawsuit. And we’re supposed to be okay with that? What about J6? This is outrageous. Really disappointed to see some of the names on this list. You can’t self-deal like this—especially not by weaponizing a government shutdown. Absolutely ridiculous, Leader John Thune.”
These senators slipped in a provision to reopen the government that guarantees them $500k if DOJ settles their Arctic Frost lawsuit. And we’re supposed to be okay with that? What about J6? This is outrageous. Really disappointed to see some of the names on this list. You can’t… pic.twitter.com/Ig4nInjfKR
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) November 12, 2025
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) took to X to slam the provision as “ridiculous” and a blatant abuse of taxpayer dollars.
BOEBERT:
“I will be voting to repeal this ridiculous policy that allows 8 specific senators to use taxpayer dollars sue the DOJ. This garbage should have never been included in a clean government funding bill.”
I will be voting to repeal this ridiculous policy that allows 8 specific senators to use taxpayer dollars sue the DOJ. This garbage should have never been included in a clean government funding bill. https://t.co/HB3bQdlmnv
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) November 12, 2025
Congressman John Rose (R-TN) also blasted the provision stating, “SpeakerJohnson has every right to be angry — so am I, and so are taxpayers in Tennessee and across America. Republican Senators secretly tucked in a clause to hand THEMSELVES up to $500,000 of your money for being targeted by Biden’s DOJ — without telling us. Half a million for them, but NOTHING for the thousands of J6ers who lost everything.”
.@SpeakerJohnson has every right to be angry — so am I, and so are taxpayers in Tennessee and across America.
Republican Senators secretly tucked in a clause to hand THEMSELVES up to $500,000 of your money for being targeted by Biden’s DOJ — without telling us.
Half a million… pic.twitter.com/0WsWq4fyIq
— Congressman John Rose (@RepJohnRose) November 13, 2025
Constitutional attorney and former Army reservist, Ivan Raiklin, also weighed in, stating, “where is my $500k? I was just a private citizen minding my own business and Jack Smith violated my 4A…”
where is my $500k? I was just a private citizen minding my own business and Jack Smith violated my 4A and Susie Wiles (who ran the 4 Trump orgs I was subpoenas for didn’t even bother to tell me for 2.5 years. pic.twitter.com/m9ur6C3ZRG
— Ivan Raiklin (@IvanRaiklin) November 13, 2025
Constitutional attorney Sidney Powell unleashed her outrage, accusing Senate Republicans of enriching themselves while abandoning political prisoners and everyday Americans:
“My outrage over this amendment to benefit Senators cannot be overstated. Every single Senator who supported giving themselves $500K for every phone line or address Jack Smith subpoenaed should RESIGN tomorrow. I don’t know who they are yet but I will publish every name I can find tomorrow.
It is the persecuted J6 defendants and those of us who were robbed or our time, our lives, our law licenses, and harassed and bankrupted over the last five years who should be compensated by the government.”
My outrage over this amendment to benefit Senators cannot be overstated. Every single Senator who supported giving themselves $500K for every phone line or address Jack Smith subpoenaed should RESIGN tomorrow. I don’t know who they are yet but I will publish every name I can…
— Sidney Powell Attorney, Author, Gladiator (@SidneyPowell1) November 13, 2025
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