A once-hidden FBI document has exposed that the bureau, under then-Director Christopher Wray, collected private phone records of Republican lawmakers during the probe into the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, drawing fierce criticism for what many see as a dangerous abuse of power.
This bombshell centers on the FBI’s actions targeting eight Republican senators and one GOP House member, all while investigating events tied to the Capitol unrest as part of a broader Biden Justice Department effort against President Donald Trump.
Just The News reported that the list of targeted lawmakers includes Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.).
Their phone records, specifically from January 4 to January 7, 2021, were swept up in a grand jury subpoena for call details, durations, and general location data—though not the conversations themselves.
A late September 2023 FBI record, dubbed "CAST Assistance," uncovered by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) through oversight requests, revealed this preliminary toll analysis. It’s no small matter when the government turns its gaze on elected officials, especially during a constitutionally protected moment like certifying an election. One has to wonder if this was less about justice and more about political score-settling.
Originally coded as "Arctic Frost," this investigation later morphed into Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case against Trump over the 2020 election. The probe didn’t stop at lawmakers; it also nabbed government cell phones of Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence, among others, as disclosed by Sens. Grassley and Johnson.
Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland made it crystal clear in January 2022 that pursuing January 6 culprits was the Justice Department’s top mission, calling it one of the most resource-heavy investigations in history.
Over 1,500 individuals faced charges for crimes linked to that day and the preceding weeks, a staggering number that shows the scale of the dragnet. But when that net catches members of Congress, shouldn’t alarm bells ring louder?
Garland’s authorization also greenlit the FBI’s raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022, while he appointed Jack Smith as special counsel in November of that year.
Smith wasted no time, charging Trump in June 2023 over classified document retention, followed by further indictments in August 2023 tied to the 2020 election. It’s hard not to see a pattern of relentless pursuit that some might call a vendetta dressed in legal briefs.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley didn’t mince words on the matter. “This document shows the Biden FBI spied on 8 of my Republican Senate colleagues during its Arctic Frost investigation into ‘election conspiracy,’” Grassley said. “BIDEN FBI WEAPONIZATION = WORSE THAN WATERGATE.”
Grassley’s comparison to Watergate isn’t just hyperbole for those who see this as a profound breach of trust. When the FBI targets only GOP lawmakers during a sensitive constitutional process, it reeks of selective scrutiny that undermines the very checks and balances our system holds dear.
Bassem Youssef, a retired FBI counterterrorism unit chief, pointed out the gravity of targeting Congress. “You’re talking about members of the Congress and the Senate. Those are protected entities,” Youssef noted.
“When you talk about members of Congress… those are highly sensitive targets that demand a higher level of predication for getting the authority,” he added. His words cut to the core: why was this seemingly one-sided fishing expedition allowed to proceed without an ironclad justification? It’s a question that demands answers, not excuses.
The involvement of high-ranking officials like Wray and Smith only deepens the concern. Former FBI executive Chris Piehota suggested Wray likely gave his blessing to this data collection, implying top-level complicity in a move that feels more like a political maneuver than a pursuit of justice. If true, this isn’t just a misstep; it’s a deliberate overreach that should chill anyone who values constitutional boundaries.
With current FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi now in the spotlight, calls for accountability are growing louder. Lawmakers like Grassley are pushing for those responsible to face consequences for what they see as an unconstitutional act.
After all, if the government can snoop on Congress today, what stops it from targeting everyday citizens tomorrow? Ultimately, this saga isn’t just about phone records or a single investigation; it’s about the erosion of trust between the governed and those who wield power.
The Biden-era FBI’s actions, as revealed in this long-buried document, have ignited a firestorm of justified outrage among conservatives who fear the weaponization of federal agencies. Let’s hope this sparks a serious reckoning before the line between governance and overreach blurs beyond repair.