FBI reports that Jack Smith traced calls and private communications of Republican senators as part of its Jan. 6 investigation

Former special prosecutor Jack Smith and his team would have tracked private communications and phone records of nearly a dozen Republican senators as part of their investigation into the unrest on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021, according to documentation obtained by Fox News Digital.

"It is a disgrace that I have to stand on Capitol Hill and reveal this—that the FBI was once weaponized to track the private communications of U.S. lawmakers for political purposes," FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino told Fox News Digital. "That era is over."

An FBI file titled "CAST Assistance," dated Sept. 27, 2023, names senators Lindsey Graham, Marsha Blackburn, Ron Johnson, Josh Hawley, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, and Rep. Mike Kelly. The document details that an agent on Smith's team conducted a "preliminary toll analysis" on call records associated with those lawmakers.

Internal oversight and notification to Congress.

FBI Director Kash Patel and Bongino made the discovery following a request for internal review submitted by Sen. Chuck Grassley. Both officials briefed the affected lawmakers on Monday during a meeting at the Capitol, deeming it urgent to notify them about the sweep.

According to sources cited by Fox News Digital, investigators were able to access the numbers contacted, as well as the originating and receiving locations of the calls, information obtained through subpoenas to phone companies in 2023.

The FBI noted that the Arctic Frost case is considered "prohibited" and that the ongoing review seeks to ensure transparency about actions taken during previous management.