Former Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President Donald Trump allegedly resulted in the FBI spying on nearly half a dozen Republican lawmakers.
A bombshell document released by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Monday shows that the lawmakers were being investigated during Smith's probe into the January 6 Capitol riot.
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., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., were probed, according to an FBI document published by Grassley.
Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., was also investigated, the document shows.
The one-page file was created in the wake of Smith's 'Arctic Frost' investigation, which probed the riot and election interference claims.
The file sheds light on how the FBI conducted its investigation and used phone records to track sitting lawmakers.
It is titled 'CAST Assistance,' which refers to the FBI's cellular analysis survey team.
The file is dated September 27, 2023, indicating that the investigation into the Republicans' cellular data lasted well into Biden's term.
The Case ID on the document reads: 'ARCTIC FROST—Election Law Matters—SENSITIVE INVESTIGATIVE MATTER—CAST.'
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino briefed the impacted lawmakers on the scope of the probe on Monday, Fox News Digital, which originally broke the story, reports.
'It is a disgrace that I have to stand on Capitol Hill and reveal this — that the FBI was once weaponized to track the private communications of US lawmakers for political purposes,' Bongino told the outlet. 'That era is over.'
A source familiar with the probe told Fox News Digital that FBI Director Kash Patel and Bongino felt it was pertinent to inform the lawmakers 'as soon as possible' following the discovery of the document.
One official told the outlet that the cellular records were provided to Smith after his team subpoenaed telephone providers for information on the lawmakers.
The one-pager shows that an unnamed FBI agent, whose name had been redacted, 'conducted preliminary toll analysis' of the lawmakers. Toll records are kept for telecommunications in the U.S. and are subject to subpoena in certain cases.
These tolls may contain information on calls, texts or emails, and they can show metadata related to the communications, like where the call was placed, who it was to, and where geographically both parties were.
'Biden's Stasi who claimed to be saving "our sacred democracy" in fact worked overtime to destroy it - all for power,' Hawley, one of the senators who was allegedly surveiled, reacted on X.
'They spied on Catholic churches, prosecuted pro-lifers, deployed the FBI against parents at school board meetings - and tried to tap the phones of their political enemies. Including mine.'
The 'Artic Frost' investigation was opened in April 2022. The case was ultimately dismissed after Trump won re-election in November 2024.
'Based on the evidence to-date, Arctic Frost and related weaponization by federal law enforcement under Biden was arguably worse than Watergate,' Grassley said in a statement.
'What I've uncovered today is disturbing and outrageous political conduct by the Biden FBI. The FBI's actions were an unconstitutional breach, and Attorney General Bondi and Director Patel need to hold accountable those involved in this serious wrongdoing.'
The 'Artic Frost' investigation also probed over 100 GOP-linked groups, including Turning Point USA, a Republican political group formerly led by the late Charlie Kirk.
