Let's Talk News - Operation Artic Frost - What happens when a President Spies on Congress

Join us tonight at 8 PM for an explosive episode of Let's Talk News hosted by Leticia Remauro!

We'll dive deep into Operation Arctic Frost, unpacking the chilling details of this controversial operation.

What happens when a presidential administration spies on members of Congress from the opposing party? We'll explore the implications, the fallout, and what it means for democracy, transparency, and political trust in America.

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Arctic Frost was an FBI investigation launched in April 2022 under the Biden administration, initially focused on alleged efforts to obstruct the certification of the 2020 presidential election results through the use of alternate electors. It involved "preliminary toll analysis" (phone metadata collection, including call durations, times, and general locations, but not content) and expanded to include subpoenas for financial records, communications, and donor data from Republican-linked individuals and organizations.

The probe was later assigned to Special Counsel Jack Smith in November 2022 and formed the basis for his election interference case against former President Donald Trump, which was dismissed after Trump's 2024 reelection.

Who Headed It Up?
The operation was opened by Timothy Thibault, then-assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office. It received high-level approvals from: FBI Director Christopher Wray; Attorney General Merrick Garland; Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco

Special Counsel Jack Smith oversaw its expansion and implementation, including the issuance of 197 subpoenas targeting over 430 Republican individuals and entities.

Primary Targets - The investigation specifically collected phone metadata from the personal cell phones of nine Republican lawmakers for calls made between January 4 and January 7, 2021 (around the Electoral College certification). These included: Lindsey Graham, Bill Hagerty, Josh Hawley, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, Ron Johnson, Cynthia Lummis, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Kelly.