--- title: "Senator Blackburn sues Jack Smith over phone records" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/senator-blackburn-sues-jack-smith-over-phone-records" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/senator-blackburn-sues-jack-smith-over-phone-records" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/senator-blackburn-sues-jack-smith-over-phone-records.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/senator-blackburn-sues-jack-smith-over-phone-records" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-30T18:46:00.535Z" source_reported: "2026-09-30T18:23:53.000Z" updated: "2026-09-30T18:46:00.535Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 58 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-30T18:45:24.190409+00:00" --- # Senator Blackburn sues Jack Smith over phone records *Republican alleges unlawful collection of congressional toll records and challenges special counsel's appointment.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to named bodies, but relies on anonymous sourcing for some details. - Craft 58 of 100, higher is better. Reports quote affected parties and separate fact from comment, but lack detail on what happens next. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise a personal lawsuit, but the body focuses on the legal arguments and claims. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn has filed a lawsuit against former special counsel Jack Smith and the Justice Department. - Blackburn alleges that Smith unlawfully collected her telephone toll records and those of other members of Congress. - The lawsuit also challenges the legality of Jack Smith's appointment as special counsel. - She is seeking $1 in damages and reimbursement for court expenses and lawyers' fees. Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn has filed a lawsuit against former special counsel Jack Smith and the Justice Department. The suit, filed on Wednesday, alleges that Smith unlawfully obtained her telephone toll records and those of other members of Congress. Blackburn is also challenging the legality of Smith's appointment as special counsel. ## Disagreement on lawsuit details The lawsuit seeks $1 in damages, as well as reimbursement for court expenses and lawyers' fees, according to Alternet. Other reports state she is seeking nominal damages of $1 and a declaration that Smith was unlawfully appointed, as reported by Fox News and cited by Just the News. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports mention the specific demands detailed in Alternet regarding an injunction for Smith to destroy legislative materials or return toll records. The centre-rated press did not cover this story. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 14% (1) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 86% (6) 0 of 7 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-30T18:45:24.190409+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 3 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-30T19:30:13.488Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Alternet reported on Senator Marsha Blackburn's lawsuit against Jack Smith, focusing on the details of the 46-page complaint. The report highlighted Blackburn's demands, including a declaration that Smith was unlawfully appointed and that his collection of toll records was unlawful and violated her constitutional and civil rights. Alternet also detailed Blackburn's requests for an injunction requiring Smith to destroy any legislative materials in his possession and to return all copies of the toll records. The outlet noted Blackburn is seeking $1 in damages and payment of all court expenses and lawyers' fees by the DOJ. It also referenced a fund for settlement agreements with the DOJ, mentioning former President Donald Trump's agreement with the IRS. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - Reports from the right-rated outlets focused on Senator Marsha Blackburn's lawsuit against Jack Smith concerning her phone records. Several outlets, including Just the News, Washington Times, nytimespost.com, wfmd.com, Fox News, and The Free Press (Tampa), stated that Smith obtained the phone records of several senators through a subpoena and secured a non-disclosure order preventing notification to the affected lawmakers. The reports generally mentioned Blackburn's claim that Smith's acquisition of her records violated the speech and debate clause of the Constitution and that she is seeking $1 in damages and a declaration that Smith was unlawfully appointed. Some reports noted that whether a special counsel requires Senate confirmation is a subject of legal debate, with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon having previously found Smith's appointment illegal. The Free Press (Tampa) specified the complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee and named Smith in his personal capacity. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 4 - high: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Alternet](https://alternet.org/marsha-blackburn-jack-smith) — Republican sues Jack Smith over 'phone records' subpoena - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/30/sen-marsha-blackburn-sues-jack-smith-obtaining-phone-records) — Sen. Blackburn sues Jack Smith for obtaining her phone records - [nytimespost.com](https://nytimespost.com/secret-phone-record-seizure-sparks-personal-lawsuit-from-gop-senator) — Secret phone-record seizure sparks personal lawsuit from GOP senator - NEW YORK TIMES POST - [wfmd.com](https://wfmd.com/2026/09/30/secret-phone-record-seizure-sparks-personal-lawsuit-from-gop-senator) — Secret phone-record seizure sparks personal lawsuit from GOP senator - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/secret-phone-record-seizure-sparks-personal-lawsuit-gop-senator) — Secret phone-record seizure sparks personal lawsuit from GOP senator - [Just the News](https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/blackburn-sues-jack-smith-accessing-her-phone-records) — Blackburn sues Jack Smith for accessing her phone records - [The Free Press (Tampa)](https://tampafp.com/tennessee-sen-marsha-blackburn-files-federal-lawsuit-against-jack-smith-over-secret-phone-snooping) — Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn Files Federal Lawsuit Against Jack Smith Over Secret Phone Snooping ## Questions **Why is Senator Marsha Blackburn suing Jack Smith?** Senator Marsha Blackburn filed a lawsuit alleging that former special counsel Jack Smith unlawfully collected her telephone toll records and those of other members of Congress. She also challenges the legality of Smith's appointment as special counsel. **What does Senator Blackburn want from the lawsuit?** Blackburn is seeking $1 in damages and reimbursement for court expenses and lawyers' fees. She also wants a declaration that Jack Smith was unlawfully appointed and that his collection of her phone records was illegal. **What specific records did Jack Smith obtain?** According to the lawsuit, Jack Smith obtained Senator Blackburn's telephone toll records and those of other members of Congress. These records were reportedly collected through a grand jury subpoena during the Arctic Frost investigation. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/senator-blackburn-sues-jack-smith-over-phone-records. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Senator Blackburn sues Jack Smith over phone records", https://mediabias.news/politics/senator-blackburn-sues-jack-smith-over-phone-records