Newly released internal records indicate that an FBI investigation conducted during the Biden administration into Donald Trump and Republican political organizations in the wake of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot was significantly broader than originally understood. The investigation, known inside the bureau as “Arctic Frost,” issued nearly 200 subpoenas targeting over 400 Republican individuals and entities nationwide, according to documents made public Wednesday by Senator Chuck Grassley (R–Iowa).
Grassley, who obtained the materials through whistleblower disclosures protected under federal law, released the documents as part of an ongoing Senate oversight effort examining what many Republicans now argue was an overly broad, politically charged federal probe. His office stated that the FBI issued 197 subpoenas, directed at a total of approximately 430 persons and organizations, including political committees, donor networks, conservative advocacy groups, and businesses suspected of conducting work for Trump’s post-election legal and political operation.
The records show that among the recipients were financial institutions, political nonprofits, payroll service providers, and media-linked communications consultants. Requests sought email logs, internal communications, and financial transaction data. The investigation also probed fundraising strategies connected to efforts to contest the 2020 election results.
Republican Senators Call the Investigation a “Politicized Operation”
Several Republican senators who served in Congress during the Biden administration and were involved in earlier oversight efforts joined Grassley at a press briefing announcing the release.
“What is revealed in those 1,700 pages of documents, those 197 subpoenas, is nothing short of a Biden administration enemies list,” said Senator Ron Johnson (R–Wis.). Johnson, who said dozens of Wisconsin activists and donors were included among the targets, argued the scale indicated the probe was aimed not simply at identifying possible criminal activity, but at mapping a political movement’s internal networks.
Senator John Cornyn (R–Texas) said the newly released material showed the Justice Department under former President Joe Biden treated political opposition as a security threat.
“This extended far beyond President Trump and extended to President Trump’s supporters not only here in the United States Senate but more broadly,” Cornyn said. He added: “Merrick Garland was a member of Joe Biden’s cabinet. He was willing to do whatever Joe Biden and his political operation wanted him to do, including destroying President Trump.”
During the time of the investigation, Garland served as Attorney General and Christopher Wray as FBI Director. Both signed off on the probe’s authorization in 2022, according to a decision memorandum Grassley released last week.
Investigation Targeted GOP Lawmakers’ Phone Records
One of the central elements drawing Republican scrutiny is the FBI’s decision to subpoena phone toll records — not content, but lists of call times and numbers — for multiple Republican senators who objected to certifying the 2020 election results.
The investigation targeted at least eight Republican senators and at least one House member, Rep. Mike Kelly (R–Pa.), according to the documents. The FBI sought data covering January 4–7, 2021, to identify communications that might suggest coordinated efforts to block the electoral count.
Senator Ted Cruz (R–Texas) was also targeted, according to reporting confirmed Wednesday. Cruz said the Justice Department attempted to subpoena records from AT&T. The company reportedly resisted, prompting a sealed court order preventing it from notifying Cruz for one year — an order Cruz sharply criticized.
“This order is an abuse of power. This order is a weaponized legal system,” Cruz said, arguing the secrecy implied prosecutors believed lawmakers could not be trusted with knowledge of investigative actions.
Jack Smith’s office has previously maintained such subpoenas were lawful and consistent with past DOJ procedure.
Conservative Organizations and Donors Swept In
Earlier oversight releases revealed that the “Arctic Frost” investigation also scrutinized the work of more than 92 conservative organizations and political operations. These included Turning Point USA and the Republican National Committee, among others. The FBI sought financial data, internal communications, and donor activity records.
Some individuals and operatives connected to “alternative elector” slates later faced state charges in swing states narrowly won by Biden. Others did not face prosecution but were included in investigative records.
After Trump’s Election in 2024, FBI Leadership Changed
Following Donald Trump’s return to the presidency in January 2025, new FBI Director Kash Patel — appointed by Trump — dismantled the Washington Field Office unit that led the "Arctic Frost" investigation and removed several senior agents associated with the probe.
Patel has since coordinated closely with both Senate and House oversight staff to review internal records and release selected documents publicly.
“Every day this FBI is releasing documents like these to give the public full view of what happened, work with Congress to right the wrongs, and hold accountable anyone who acted unethically – period,” Patel wrote Tuesday on X. “Corruption like this is being crushed in your federal government day by day. It’s a new era.”
Special Counsel Jack Smith Ended His Cases After Supreme Court Ruling
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s criminal case against Trump in Washington, D.C. — which stemmed in part from material collected through “Arctic Frost” — did not go to trial. The Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that presidents are shielded from prosecution for official acts, delaying proceedings beyond the election. After Trump won, Smith dropped both his election-related case and his classified documents case in Florida before resigning.
Trump has repeatedly characterized Smith as politically motivated, describing him Wednesday as a “criminal” and calling for further investigation into the Justice Department’s conduct.
Smith, through attorneys, has said he is willing to testify publicly before both congressional judiciary committees.
Grassley Says Oversight Will Continue
Senator Grassley suggested Wednesday that “Arctic Frost” may represent one of the most sweeping domestic political investigations in modern U.S. history.
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