WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) revealed Tuesday that a whistleblower has confirmed the FBI targeted conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, under a secretive Biden-era operation called “Arctic Frost.”
Grassley made the disclosure during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scrutinizing the leadership of Director Kash Patel. In his opening statement, Grassley said records from a whistleblower — set to be released today — show the FBI placed at least 92 Republican-affiliated individuals and organizations under investigative scrutiny.
“On that political list was one of Charlie Kirk’s groups, Turning Point USA,” Grassley said. “In other words, Arctic Frost wasn’t just a case to politically investigate Trump. It was the vehicle by which partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could achieve their partisan ends and improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus.”
Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) plan to make the records public today.
“I hope a lot of people are interested in seeing what government can do when various agencies have a political agenda,” Grassley added.
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Background on “Arctic Frost”
Arctic Frost was launched in April 2022 by the FBI to investigate “alternate” or “fake” electors tied to the 2020 election. According to whistleblower disclosures and internal emails released earlier by Grassley and Johnson, the operation was initiated by FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault.
Thibault allegedly violated internal protocols — specifically the FBI’s “No Self-Approval Rule,” which bars supervisors from opening and approving their own investigations.
The investigation quickly scaled up. The FBI coordinated with 13 field offices, issued dozens of subpoenas, conducted interviews, and seized government-issued phones previously used by President Donald Trump and then-Vice President Mike Pence.
No Public Closure, Despite Related Cases Being Dropped
Grassley and Johnson have continued to press for transparency, requesting the full release of all FBI and DOJ records, including communications with the White House Counsel’s Office.
To date, there has been no official statement confirming whether Arctic Frost is still active, closed, or suspended.
While the special counsel’s elector-related case — which relied in part on Arctic Frost — was dismissed in 2024 after Trump’s election victory, the FBI has not publicly confirmed the status of the original operation.
In July 2024, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the Mar-a-Lago documents case against Trump, citing legal concerns over Special Counsel Jack Smith’s appointment.
Still, the core Arctic Frost investigation has not been formally acknowledged or closed, leaving questions about its scope and continued existence.
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