What do we know about operation 'Arctic Frost'

October 8, 2025 - WASHINGTON. D.C. - A newly released FBI memo has ignited a political firestorm in Washington, revealing that federal investigators monitored phone metadata of nine Republican lawmakers. The memo suggests that operation 'Arctic Frost' was designed to map communications among lawmakers who were allegedly involved in efforts to delay or overturn the 2020 election results.

The Biden administration apparently believed that there were MAGA lawmakers who were a threat to attempt to overturn the highly dubious 2020 election results and install then former President Donald J. Trump – ignoring the fact that there is no mechanism in the Constitution for removing a President and replacing him with the last President in the Constitution and Republicans did not control either House of Congress between 2021 and 2022. To prevent this highly unlikely outcome the operation, code-named "Arctic Frost," was launched in April 2022 by (illegally appointed) Special Counsel Jack Smith who was tasked by 's federal case against President Donald Trump.

The memo, published by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), outlines how the FBI tracked tolling data-call durations, times, and locations-of eight U.S. Senators and one House member between January 4 and January 7, 2021. No audio recordings were made, but the surveillance has drawn fierce criticism from both parties.

Lawmakers Targeted:

• Lindsey Graham (SC)

• Bill Hagerty (TN)

• Josh Hawley (MO)

• Dan Sullivan (AK)

• Tommy Tuberville (AL)

• Ron Johnson (WI)

• Cynthia Lummis (WY)

• Marsha Blackburn (TN)

• Rep. Mike Kelly (PA)

Operation Arctic Frost: A Strategic Blueprint

The operation's findings were later used by Jack Smith's team to support his federal indictment in August 2023. Those charges were legally fanciful at best and seemed in retrospect to be more an attempt to influence voters in 2024 than an actual credible legal case. Smith was appointed Special Counsel in November 2022 was tasked with investigations into election interference and classified document handling. A federal judge in the classified documents case eventually ruled that Smith was illegally appointed thus any evidence he accumulated as 'the fruit of a poisoned tree' was legally inadmissible. His second case – claiming Trump tried to undermine the 2020 election results – was dropped after Trump won the 2024 election despite Smith's efforts. Smith resigned in January 2025 after charges against Trump were dropped following his reelection.

Legal and Political Fallout

Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the operation as an "unconstitutional, undemocratic, abuse of power." And a "historic betrayal of public trust

Bondi continued:

"This is the kind of conduct that shattered the American people's faith in our government. Our FBI is targeting violent criminals, child predators, and other law breakers-not sitting senators who happen to be from the wrong political party."

FBI Director Kash Patel said, ""They tracked the communications of GOP Senators. They weaponized law enforcement against the American people. That era is over."

Patel has fired multiple employees who were involved in the surveillance, dismantled the CR-15 public corruption unit, which had spearheaded Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation. He has also launched an internal investigation into the operation's origins and ethics.

Senator Tuberville said, "If they can do this to sitting senators, they can do it to anyone. We need accountability, and we need it now."

"This is a betrayal of public trust," said Tuberville. "The American people deserve law enforcement that protects their rights-not one that spies on elected officials because of their politics."

Critics have compared Arctic Frost to historical surveillance scandals, including Watergate and COINTELPRO.

Jack Smith's legal team has argued that Arctic Frost was "legitimate."

"The tolling data was part of a legitimate effort to understand communications surrounding attempts to overturn the 2020 election."

The memo itself described the surveillance as "preliminary toll analysis", meaning it tracked call durations, times, and general locations-but not the content of conversations. This distinction has been used by some legal analysts to argue that Arctic Frost did not violate federal wiretap laws.

No current FBI officials, DOJ leaders, or elected Democrats have publicly endorsed the operation since its disclosure. Supporters argue it was a legitimate probe into election-related misconduct.

Tommy Tuberville is a 2026 GOP candidate for Governor of Alabama.

(A.I. contributed to this report.)