New FBI Files Show Jack Smith Went After ‘Entire Republican Political Apparatus,’ Cruz and GOP Demand Judge Boasberg’s Impeachment
The political weaponization of the Justice Department reached a breaking point Wednesday as Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released bombshell FBI files proving that Special Counsel Jack Smith ran a sweeping surveillance campaign targeting hundreds of Republican groups, donors, and elected officials.
At a press conference alongside several GOP senators, Grassley unveiled what he called “legally protected whistleblower disclosures” showing 197 subpoenas issued as part of the DOJ’s Arctic Frost operation — a program Republicans are now calling Joe Biden’s version of Watergate.
“Arctic Frost became the vehicle by which FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors could improperly investigate the entire Republican political apparatus,” Grassley said. “197 subpoenas. Thirty-four individuals. 163 businesses. Over 430 names. All Republican.”
Among the targeted were prominent conservative organizations like Turning Point USA, the Republican Attorneys General Association, and numerous sitting senators — including Lindsey Graham, Marsha Blackburn, and Josh Hawley.
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), whose own records were secretly sought, called Arctic Frost “Joe Biden’s Watergate.”
“This was a political enemies list from the beginning,” Cruz declared, pointing the finger directly at Attorney General Merrick Garland and Special Counsel Jack Smith as “fundamentally corrupt.” Cruz held up the actual court order demanding his cell records, which was signed by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg — a judge now facing calls for impeachment.
Cruz tore into Boasberg for claiming in the order that senators like Blackburn, Grassley, or Graham might destroy evidence, calling the assertion a blatant abuse of power.
“I’m calling on the House of Representatives to impeach Judge Boasberg,” Cruz said. “He made factual conclusions with zero evidence. That makes him unfit to serve.”
Boasberg, a left-wing Obama appointee and current Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for D.C., has previously blocked Trump-era immigration actions, including deportation flights for violent gang members. Now he’s accused of authorizing a mass dragnet on Republicans while shielding it from public view — the order prevented phone carriers from even informing the targets.
Grassley’s documents also reveal the FBI subpoenaed metadata and financial information from Republican donors and even media contacts involving Fox News, Newsmax, Sinclair, and CBS. The files further show that White House insiders like Stephen Miller, Jared Kushner, Lara Trump, and Dan Scavino were under the microscope.
Despite denials, Smith’s probe appears to have been a classic fishing expedition that weaponized federal power against one political party. The result? A four-count indictment against President Trump over the events of January 6.
“This wasn’t about justice,” Grassley said. “This was about silencing Republicans and intimidating conservatives.”
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), also targeted, said she has referred Smith for potential disbarment and professional misconduct. Meanwhile, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) demanded “Watergate-style hearings” in Congress.
Cruz revealed that AT&T — his wireless provider — refused to hand over his records, pushing back against what it saw as an unconstitutional overreach. Other carriers like Verizon reportedly complied without resistance, leading to multiple senators being surveilled without their knowledge.
Senate Republicans are now calling for accountability — not just for Jack Smith and Merrick Garland — but for the judges rubber-stamping what they say amounts to a political surveillance state.
“If this had happened to Democrats,” Grassley said, “they’d be as rightly outraged as we are.”