Shutdown Deal Would Let Senators Sue for Jack Smith Searches (1)

Senators whose phone records were sought by Special Counsel Jack Smith would gain authority to sue for millions in damages under a provision buried in the Senate-advanced deal to reopen the government.

The spending measure, which cleared a Senate procedural hurdle Sunday night, would create a private right of action allowing senators who’ve been searched—without their knowledge—for their communications data to bring civil lawsuits against the US government and potentially individual federal employees.

Each time criminal investigators attempted to access a senator’s data without informing them, the court would be able to award at least $500,000, provided that the lawmaker ...