It has been confirmed that former President Joe Biden's White House counsel's office turned over cell phones belonging to President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence as part of the FBI's 'Arctic Frost' probe.
The discovery was publicized by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel.
Senator Grassley and Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) confirmed this information thanks to a whistleblower disclosure that exposed a massive political investigation of Trump that went against established protocol and policies.
The probe was led by anti-Trump FBI agent Timothy Thibault, and according to Grassley's letter, the probe was the foundation of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s elector case against Trump.
Thibault reportedly stated that 'Arctic Frost' would be "prioritized over all others in the Branch” and confirmed the political motivation behind the investigation by saying, “it frankly took too long for us to open this [investigation].”
The letter to Bondi and Patel stated, "The American people deserve to know the complete extent of the corruption within the DOJ and FBI that led to the investigation into President Trump. We are making this information public for purposes of public accountability and to provide specific examples of past behavior at your institutions that must not be repeated."
The letter outlined a complete timeline and summary of the entire probe, which was undeniably political and broke with all previous FBI regulations and rules in order to fast-track the investigation into Trump.
One of the bigger offenses was the transfer of the cell phones belonging to Trump and Pence from the White House to the FBI without a warrant.
It wasn't until after the FBI had already obtained the cell phones that efforts to obtain a warrant were made. According to an anonymous source close to the investigation, the Biden White House "gave its blessing and accommodation for the FBI to physically obtain Trump and Pence’s phones.”
Another factor that Senator Grassley's letter highlights is the massive expense that 'Arctic Frost' caused for taxpayers as the FBI spent thousands travelling around the nation conducting interviews to build the case against Trump.
Grassley's letter highlighted $16,600 for travel in June 2022 to “conduct more than 40 interviews, serve subpoenas, and execute several cellular device search warrants.” In one month, the FBI spent thousands on a case that was entirely speculative.
With Kash Patel as the FBI's director, it's very possible that the next few months could see all of those FBI agents, including Thibault, thrown out and possibly sanctioned for their role in 'Arctic Frost."
Patel has until late March to turn over "all records related to the Arctic Frost investigation” and “a true and complete breakdown of the total dollar amount spent on the Arctic Frost investigation before it was officially transferred to Jack Smith in November 2022."
No doubt, Trump himself, as well as the many allies targeted by the FBI over the past few years, will be paying close attention to this investigation.
The FBI made life hell for Trump and anyone who was near him, and a strong message must be sent to ensure that the FBI cannot be abused by political actors again.
