Gohmert Condemns and Exposes the DOJ for the Apparent Unconstitutional Tampering of Private Constituent Mail

In January, my staff received a letter addressed to my official office from a Christian missionary, which was already opened and stamped "DOJ MAILROOM" with a date and "X-RAYED" on the stamp. Last week, my office received a second piece of mail from a constituent, mailed from east Texas and postmarked September 2021. It took four-and-a-half months to reach my office and was also opened and bore a stamp from the DOJ.

It is deeply concerning that Legislative Branch mail is somehow being co-mingled with Executive Branch mail when we have completely different proprietary zip codes. We are separate but co-equal branches of government. Even if it were a mistake to deliver Congress’ mail to the DOJ, the DOJ has an obligation to immediately notify Congress and forward the mail without opening it.

It is gravely concerning that since Congressional mail is constitutionally protected under the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution, it could be routed, intentionally or not, through the highly partisan DOJ. This is felonious behavior.

Given reports breaking of an Inspector General’s investigation being opened after another Republican member alleged Speaker Pelosi’s Capitol Police were in his personal office photographing his work product, the Democrat's spying on political opponents appears to know no end.

The Speaker has already required offices to turn in names, dates, and times of our meetings, along with the purpose of the meeting, for our constituents to be allowed entrance into our office buildings to meet with their duly-elected member of Congress. Then, we are told, she has the Capitol Police doing opposition research that is catalogued for later use. We have never ever seen a Congress so partisan to such an unethical and illegal extent. The people behind this should be hoping and praying that they will not be treated in the same manner in which they are running roughshod over Republicans when and if Republicans retake the majority.

The Supreme Court has made it clear that the Department of Justice cannot even use a search warrant to search a Representative’s mail and office.

We want answers to this outrage, not excuses.