A newly released review by the House Judiciary Committee has revealed that more than 160 Republicans were subjects of an expansive FBI investigation, code-named Arctic Frost, during the Biden administration. The internal documents, spanning hundreds of pages, indicate that the probe—initially launched under then-FBI Director Christopher Wray and later overseen by special prosecutor Jack Smith—was far broader in scope than previously understood.
According to the records, 45 individuals were directly targeted, including high-profile figures such as WarRoom host Stephen K. Bannon, Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark, Trump attorney John Eastman, and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
An additional 111 individuals were flagged for investigation, including former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, senior aide Dan Scavino, former Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen, and current DOJ official Ed Martin.
President Donald J. Trump reacted to the revelations on Truth Social, calling the investigation “a disgrace to humanity.” He added, “These thugs should all be investigated and put in prison. Deranged Jack Smith is a criminal!”
The documents also shed light on internal FBI terminology and surveillance practices. Agents reportedly used “threat tags” such as “FRAUD CORRUPT,” “CORRUPT,” “PCORRUPT,” and “PCORRUPT_CAMP” in their files, referencing an internal 2020 “Tactical Intelligence Report.” Emails from May 2022 show regional FBI offices coordinating under the Arctic Frost program. One office thanked colleagues for “help in interviews in Arctic Frost,” while another requested $16,600 in travel funds “to conduct more than 40 interviews, serve subpoenas, and execute several cellular device search warrants.”
A September 2022 subpoena list identified dozens of Republican officials, electors, and activists tied to the aftermath of the 2020 election. The sweep included both federal and state-level figures.
Newly surfaced sources suggest that top Justice Department officials personally approved the operation. A memo released by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa shows that then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and Wray each signed off on the decision to open Arctic Frost.
The probe reportedly involved tracking the private communications of several GOP senators. FBI disclosures confirm that at least ten Republican lawmakers had their phone-call metadata analyzed during the week of January 6, 2021—though the content of those calls was not monitored.
In a striking development, the FBI has since disbanded its CR-15 squad, a public corruption unit within the Washington Field Office linked to Arctic Frost. Agents involved in the operation were reportedly dismissed following internal reviews.
FBI Director Kash Patel, who took office under President Trump, said the bureau is “cleaning up a diseased temple” by removing those who “weaponized law enforcement for political purposes.”
The revelations deepen ongoing concerns among conservatives that the Biden-era Justice Department targeted political opponents under the guise of national security investigations. For Republicans, Arctic Frost now stands as a stark example of what they have long described as the “politicization of federal law enforcement.”
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