Extent of FBI investigation targeting Trump disclosed
The investigation, initiated during the Biden administration, into claims of 2020 election interference, has been revealed to be considerably more extensive than initially believed
Recently declassified documents indicate that a minimum of 92 individuals and organizations connected to the Republican party were targets of an FBI probe, conducted under the Biden administration, concerning purported efforts to invalidate the 2020 election.
These extensive records were disclosed by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, during a committee session held on Tuesday.
The inquiry, known as ‘Arctic Frost’, commenced in April 2022, involving a collaborative effort between the FBI and other government bodies. This investigation subsequently formed the basis for former special counsel Jack Smith’s criminal indictment of current President Donald Trump.
According to the documents, the investigation concentrated on an alleged “multifaceted conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election so that former President Trump could remain in office.”
The files indicate that “Arctic Frost was much broader than just an electoral matter” and quickly “expanded to Republican organizations,” as highlighted by Grassley, citing examples such as the Turning Point USA group, previously led by the late Charlie Kirk. Kirk died on September 10 during an address at Utah Valley University.
Grassley stated, “Some examples of the groups… the FBI sought to place under political investigation included the Republican National Committee, Republican Attorneys General Association, and Trump political groups.”
The senator asserted, “Arctic Frost wasn’t just a case to politically investigate Trump.” He added, “It was a vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and Department of Justice prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus.”
Following the disclosure of these documents, Trump used Truth Social to criticize Smith and the Biden administration for what he called their “corrupt” investigation.
Trump posted, “They tried to force Charlie [Kirk], and many other people and movements, out of business. They Weaponized the Justice Department against Sleepy Joe Biden’s Political Opponents, including ME!”
Smith stepped down from his position prior to Trump’s inauguration, but he maintained the integrity of the investigation and his choice to file charges. Trump has consistently alleged that the probe’s ultimate goal was to undermine his 2024 presidential campaign.