Sen. Marsha Blackburn sues ex-Special Counsel Jack Smith, says he illegally obtained her phone records
Blackburn sued over the collection of her phone records and is seeking the return or destruction of material held by Smith or the Justice Department.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe New York Post is an established national outlet with attributed reporting and a named author, though its tabloid presentation and partisan editorial reputation warrant a lower score than major outlets with stronger transparency and correction signals.
- Source type — Established national news publisher, with a tabloid style and a recognizable editorial perspective.
- Author attribution — A named reporter is credited.
- Editorial standards — The article attributes allegations and quotations, but provides limited independent examination of the underlying court filings.
- Transparency — The page identifies its author and publisher; no correction information is present in the article text.
The report identifies the lawsuit, its requested remedies, the records at issue and several relevant events, with direct quotations attributed to their speakers. It gives little detail from the actual filing and does not include a response from Smith or the Justice Department to Blackburn’s allegations.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article reports Blackburn’s claims and the relief she seeks, and includes Smith’s defense of his investigation before the committee. It does not provide a direct response to the lawsuit from Smith or the Justice Department, nor much independent context about the legal dispute.
- Source diversity — Blackburn and Smith are both quoted or represented, but the article relies heavily on Blackburn’s claims.
- Counterarguments presented — Smith’s general defense of his investigation appears, but no direct response to the suit is reported.
- Omitted context — The article gives limited detail about the legal basis for the subpoenas and the court order.
- Loaded language — Loaded phrases appear mainly in attributed quotations rather than in the reporter’s own narration.
The article is framed around Blackburn’s allegations and includes her forceful criticism of Smith, while giving less space to Smith’s position and no direct response to the lawsuit. Its language and source emphasis create a slight rightward tilt.
- Framing — The headline and opening foreground Blackburn’s claim that Smith acted illegally.
- Source selection — Blackburn’s accusations and criticism receive direct quotations; Smith’s defense is drawn from his committee testimony.
- Language tone — The article repeats charged descriptions of the investigation from Blackburn without adopting them outright.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn sued former special counsel Jack Smith and the Justice Department, alleging they improperly obtained her phone records during the investigation into President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. She is seeking a declaration that Smith’s appointment was illegal and the return or destruction of her records.
Blackburn’s lawsuit, filed in federal court in Tennessee, alleges that Smith’s team obtained her call records and that a court order prevented Verizon from notifying her. She seeks a ruling that Smith’s appointment was illegal and asks that any of her material still held by Smith or the Justice Department be returned or destroyed. The article reports that the phone-record disclosures included several other lawmakers and that AT&T denied a similar request from Smith’s office.
The article says the records became public after Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley disclosed them last year. Smith appeared before the committee the day before Blackburn filed suit and defended his investigation, saying he would prosecute a former president on the same facts regardless of party. Separately, Sen. Bill Hagerty said he had filed a bar complaint against Smith.
Community verdict
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People in this story
SWIPE →Tennessee senator who filed the lawsuit against Jack Smith and the Justice Department
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who disclosed the phone-record collection
Alabama senator whose phone records were included in the records obtained by Smith’s team
Florida senator whose phone records were included in the records obtained by Smith’s team
Attorney general who appointed Smith
President whose 2020 election conduct was investigated by Smith
Former president referenced in Blackburn’s description of the FBI
Pennsylvania representative whose phone records were included in the records obtained by Smith’s team
Tennessee senator who said he filed a bar complaint against Smith
Democratic presidential candidate who lost to Trump in 2024
Missouri senator whose phone records were included in the records obtained by Smith’s team
Wyoming senator whose phone records were included in the records obtained by Smith’s team
Wisconsin senator whose phone records were included in the records obtained by Smith’s team
Alaska senator whose phone records were included in the records obtained by Smith’s team
Part of a bigger story
11 OUTLETSMarsha Blackburn sued former special counsel Jack Smith over his team’s collection of her phone records, alleging it was unlawful. Left-leaning outlets stress doubts about the lawsuit’s legal strength, with some linking it to a partisan dispute. Center outlets focus on lawmakers’ protections and the legal questions surrounding records subpoenas, including Smith’s explanation. Right-leaning outlets foreground Blackburn’s allegations that Smith unlawfully obtained her records and her challenge to his authority.
- ARTICLES
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
- 70
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