Jan. 6 probe potentially investigated over 150 Republicans, documents show
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FBI Director Kash Patel walks in with Sen. Chuck Grassley as he arrives to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on Sept. 16. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Approximately 160 Republican figures may have been investigated as part of the FBI's Arctic Frost probe into alleged efforts by allies of President Trump to overturn the 2020 election, newly released documents show.
The big picture: The GOP-led House Judiciary Committee claims the lists are evidence the investigation was politically motivated, but in those documents FBI investigators opened the investigation based on what they called "specific and articulable facts" of potential crimes.
- "New Arctic Frost documents reveal even further wide ranging investigation by Biden's DOJ to take down President Trump and his supporters," the committee wrote on X.
- The House Judiciary Committee earlier this month ordered former special counsel Jack Smith, who had charged the president, testify about what Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) called "constitutional abuses" in his investigation case against Trump.
- An attorney for Smith did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Reality check: The nearly 200-page, highly redacted documents say the probe focused on members of the Trump campaign who "conspired to corruptly obstruct the United States Congress' certification of the 2020 Presidential election results by submitting allegedly fraudulent elector certificates."
- The filings also say the FBI obtained evidence that individuals tried to persuade former Vice President Pence to support those false electors in 2021.
The latest: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said during a press conference Wednesday that the Arctic Frost documents were obtained by a whistleblower, not provided by the FBI.
- He added that 197 subpoenas were issued as part of the investigation.
- "This ought to be a chilling message to each and every American who loves this great country and believes in our constitutional system and equal justice under the law," Johnson said.
What's inside: As part of the Arctic Frost probe, the documents show investigators requested almost $17,000 to travel and conduct over 40 interviews in June 2022 alone, along with mobilizing individuals from various FBI field offices to aid the investigation.
- Notable figures who may have been investigated include current members of Trump's staff, such as White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino and senior trade counselor Peter Navarro.
- A chief operations officer at Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA was also listed in the documents.
Flashback: The FBI disbanded CR-15, a public corruption investigation group, and fired several agents after reports emerged that Arctic Frost agents tracked the communications of nine Republican senators.
- An FBI source told Fox News that agents were able to track the numbers senators called, where the calls came from and where they picked up.
Context: The Arctic Frost investigation was launched by then-FBI agent Timothy Thibault in April 2022 before it was transferred to Smith in November 2022.
- Smith filed his 176-page report in January, months after the case against Trump was dismissed at Smith's request.
- Smith's request came after the Supreme Court ruled that presidents have immunity for "official acts" while in office.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from Senate Republicans.
