‘Our ability to perform our constitutional duties is severely threatened’: Ron Wyden warns senators about Trump surveillance through phone companies

Senator Ron Wyden has raised concerns about major phone carriers’ ability to prevent the Trump administration from conducting surveillance on senators. In a letter sent to his fellow senators on Wednesday, the Oregon Democrat highlighted significant vulnerabilities in how phone companies handle executive branch surveillance requests.

According to MSCBC, Wyden’s investigation revealed that until recently, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile had failed to establish proper notification systems for surveillance requests, despite this being a requirement in their Senate contracts. While this issue has been addressed for Senate-funded phone lines, Wyden emphasized that personal and campaign phones remain at risk.

“If law enforcement officials, whether at the federal, state, or even local level, can secretly obtain Senators’ location data or call histories, our ability to perform our constitutional duties is severely threatened,” Wyden warned in his letter. He urged his colleagues to support legislative changes that would enable the Sergeant at Arms to protect senators’ phones from both foreign and domestic cyber threats.

Phone companies respond to surveillance concerns

The major carriers defended their positions when contacted about the allegations. AT&T spokesperson Alex Byers stated they are complying with their obligations to the Senate Sergeant at Arms and have received no legal demands regarding Senate offices under the current contract. Verizon acknowledged the senator’s view but disagreed with his policy position, while T-Mobile emphasized their compliance with contractual obligations and legal demands.

Wyden’s concerns are amplified by recent events, including the Justice Department’s inspector general report that exposed successful efforts to obtain phone records of congressional employees and lawmakers during Trump’s first term. He also referenced the Salt Typhoon cyberattack from China as evidence that surveillance threats extend beyond domestic sources.

The warning comes amid growing apprehension about the Trump administration’s use of the Justice Department, including recent changes to rules protecting journalists from leak investigations and the controversial prosecution of Representative Monica McIver. These developments have heightened concerns about the potential political targeting of Congress members through law enforcement activities.