WASHINGTON, Feb 3 - Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell said on Tuesday that Verizon and AT&T are preventing the disclosure of important documents tied to an alleged extensive Chinese spying operation that is reported to have penetrated U.S. telecommunications networks and is referred to as Salt Typhoon.
Cantwell has formally requested that both telecom companies hand over network security assessments carried out by Mandiant, the cybersecurity division of Alphabet. According to Cantwell, Mandiant declined to supply the assessments that Congress sought, apparently following the direction of AT&T and Verizon.
In a letter addressed to Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz, Cantwell made clear she expects the documentation to be provided. She wrote that if the two firms do not voluntarily provide Congress with the key materials, the relevant committee should quickly schedule a hearing with the companies' chief executives so they can address concerns about network security.
"If AT&T and Verizon are not going to provide Congress key documentation voluntarily, then I believe this committee must promptly convene a hearing with their CEOs so they can explain why Americans should have confidence in the security of their networks amid mounting evidence that the Salt Typhoon hackers remain active and undeterred," Cantwell said in the letter to Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz.
The senator's move centers on the refusal by Mandiant to release its evaluations of the carriers' networks. Cantwell attributes that refusal, at least in part, to direction from AT&T and Verizon. The requested material pertains to assessments of network security linked to allegations that a broad espionage campaign infiltrated U.S. telecommunications infrastructure.
The article also included promotional commentary about equity research tools, noting a query about whether investors should purchase AT&T shares now. The promotional copy described an AI-driven screening tool called ProPicks AI that evaluates AT&T alongside thousands of other companies across more than 100 financial metrics, and cited past selections that included Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%).
This development places pressure on both carriers to either provide the requested assessments or to prepare for public congressional scrutiny. Cantwell's letter frames the disclosure dispute as central to public confidence in the security of U.S. telecommunications networks given the continued concerns over activity attributed to the Salt Typhoon group.