FBI Director Kash Patel announced a series of immediate disciplinary and investigative actions on Tuesday following reports that the FBI and Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team monitored the private communications of eight Republican senators during an investigation tied to January 6, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.
The controversy stems from records released earlier this year by Republican Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Those documents detailed the FBI and Department of Justice’s (DOJ) use of surveillance powers under what was known as “Operation Arctic Frost.”
The program, launched in April 2022, reportedly targeted former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, and their political allies.
According to the newly surfaced information, federal authorities tracked the private phone records of several sitting lawmakers, including Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.
The same operation allegedly monitored communications involving Republican Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania.
“Operation Arctic Frost” was initiated during the Biden administration and led by the DOJ and FBI as part of their broader inquiry into events surrounding January 6.
The investigation also resulted in the seizure of government-issued phones belonging to Trump and Pence, as agents conducted a wide-ranging series of interviews nationwide.
In response to these findings, Patel pledged to bring accountability to the agency. “We recently uncovered proof that phone records of U.S. lawmakers were seized for political purposes,” Patel wrote Monday on X. “That abuse of power ends now.”
“Under my leadership, the FBI will deliver truth and accountability, and never again be weaponized against the American people,” he added.
True to that statement, Patel followed up Tuesday morning with a second post outlining actions already taken to address what he described as politically motivated surveillance by prior FBI leadership.
“Transparency is important, and accountability is critical. We promised both, and this is what promises kept looks like,” he wrote. “This FBI is delivering.”
Patel confirmed that multiple employees had been terminated, the agency’s CR-15 squad — reportedly involved in the surveillance — had been disbanded, and an internal investigation was underway.
“As a result of our latest disclosure about the baseless monitoring of members of Congress by the prior leadership team of the FBI, we have already taken the following actions: We terminated employees, we abolished the weaponized CR-15 squad, and we initiated an ongoing investigation with more accountability measures ahead,” Patel stated.
The developments come amid ongoing congressional scrutiny of alleged political bias and misuse of surveillance powers within federal law enforcement under the previous administration.
The FBI has not issued further public comment on Patel’s disciplinary actions or the reported monitoring of members of Congress.
