Trump foe Boasberg hit with articles of impeachment
Story by Elizabeth Elkind, Breanne Deppisch
11/06/2025
https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-arctic-frost
ttps://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/qanda-arctic-frost
10.17.2025
Q&A: Arctic Frost
With U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley
Q: What is Arctic Frost?
A: Under the Biden administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) opened an investigation in April 2022 codenamed Arctic Frost. I started my congressional oversight of Arctic Frost in July 2022 after whistleblowers approached my office. Ostensibly, the FBI investigation was opened to examine an alleged false electors scheme following the 2020 election. Since then, my oversight has exposed the partisan spear that launched the investigation to go after President Trump, his circle and poison his campaign to return to the White House. Arctic Frost created the framework that Jack Smith, a special counsel appointed by the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ), used to form his election case against President Trump. Even before the special counsel appointment, I flagged the partisan bias of the senior FBI official who ran Arctic Frost. This official’s political tilt undermines the credibility of the entire investigation. FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault was assigned to oversee public corruption matters. Ironically, he allowed his partisan views to corrupt his decision-making process and tarnish the rule of law. Whistleblower disclosures to my office revealed how Thibault bent FBI rules and, in so doing, weaponized the federal government to take down a political opponent. The Office of Special Counsel confirmed Thibault also broke the law; the Hatch Act prohibits political activity among federal employees while on duty.
As part of its Arctic Frost investigation, the Biden DOJ, FBI and supporting agencies issued hundreds of subpoenas and conducted dozens of interviews across the country at taxpayer expense. The facts show the investigation was a sweeping partisan fishing expedition to take down political foes. Earlier this year Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and I released tranches of whistleblower records detailing the plot to pin Trump in the Jack Smith electoral case. What’s more, my congressional oversight also found the probe targeted 92 conservative organizations, including Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA. Thanks to the courageous disclosures by whistleblowers, the truth is seeing the light of day. I’ll continue working to root out abuses of power to restore public trust in government.
Q: How is this targeting of political opponents during the Biden administration worse than Watergate?
A: My oversight work continues to pull back the curtain on the full extent of partisan misconduct at play in the Arctic Frost investigation. Most recently, I learned that as part of the investigation, the Biden FBI misused the long arm of the law to target at least eight Republican senators. In 2023, it sought and obtained cell phone “tolling data” for their devices even though they weren’t under investigation. This is a serious breach of the constitutional separation of powers. I’ve also discovered the Arctic Frost documents have been hidden as so-called Prohibited Access Files at the FBI to prevent them from ever seeing the light of day. As a lifelong family farmer, I know it takes the light and heat of the sun to grow crops. Likewise, I’ve learned in Washington it takes the heat of congressional oversight, often aided by the courage of whistleblowers, to shine light on wrongdoing and hold government accountable to the public. No matter how long it takes, I’ll continue to follow the facts to shut down political misconduct that weaponizes government against law-abiding citizens. That means I’m crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s of my oversight work before holding public hearings as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. As part of that effort, I’ve sent letters to the DOJ and FBI, as well as various other federal entities and telecommunications companies, seeking all records related to Arctic Frost and all records they provided to former Special Counsel Jack Smith for his investigation into President Trump and others. In the infamous Watergate tapes, President Nixon delivered the marching orders to fire a Pentagon whistleblower for telling the truth. As a freshman member of the U.S. House of Representatives elected post-Watergate, I cut my teeth on holding government accountable. History shows transparency brings accountability. As a watchdog for good government, I’ll keep digging to root out wrongdoing to ensure the government works for the American people, not the other way around.
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Ted Cruz sounds off on Operation Arctic Frost, says it was Biden’s ‘Watergate’
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, is formally introducing impeachment articles against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on Tuesday for his role in the “Arctic Frost” probe.
Republican allies of President Donald Trump have been criticizing Boasberg after news broke that he was the judge who signed off on subpoenas and other measures in former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe.
“Chief Judge Boasberg has compromised the impartiality of the judiciary and created a constitutional crisis. He is shamelessly weaponizing his power against his political opponents, including Republican members of Congress who are faithfully serving the American people within their jurisdiction,” Gill told Fox News Digital.
Judge Boasberg was an accomplice in the egregious Arctic Frost scandal where he equipped the Biden DOJ to spy on Republican senators. His lack of integrity makes him clearly unfit for the gavel. I am proud to once again introduce articles of impeachment against Judge Boasberg to hold him accountable for his high crimes and misdemeanors.”
MAJOR PHONE CARRIERS REVEAL JACK SMITH’S SUBPOENAS FOR REPUBLICAN SENATORS’ RECORDS
Rep. Brandon Gill, left, is introducing impeachment articles against U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. Getty Images© Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Gill’s resolution accused Boasberg of one count of abuse of power, according to text obtained first by Fox News Digital.
“Ignoring his responsibility to wield the power of his office in a constitutional manner, Chief Judge Boasberg granted Special Counsel John L. Smith authorization to issue frivolous nondisclosure orders in furtherance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation project codenamed ARCTIC FROST,” the text said.
“These nondisclosure orders covered Members of Congress who were acting in accord with their legislative duties and privileges guaranteed by Article 1, Section 6, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution.”
WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS?
The redacted Arctic Frost documents were made public late last month by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. They included subpoenas of phone records for 10 senators and one House lawmaker, and gag orders sent to Verizon and AT&T instructing them not to notify lawmakers of the subpoena. Verizon complied, but AT&T did not.
Both the subpoenas and gag orders were signed by Boasberg, according to the documents — a detail that prompted fresh criticism and indignation from Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who blasted the investigation as “worse than Watergate” and a gross violation of prosecutorial powers.
Jack Smith, former U.S. special counsel, speaks during a news conference in Washington, Aug. 1, 2023. Getty Images© Getty Images
Under the Stored Communications Act, federal judges exercise discretion in signing off on such orders — they are not automatic. It is unclear what materials Boasberg would have reviewed in this particular case before authorizing the tolling records of the senators, as much of the information and materials in the probe remain classified or are heavily redacted.
Republicans named in the subpoenas have argued they are potential violations of the Speech and Debate Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which protects lawmakers from being arrested or questioned by law enforcement for things they say or do in their legislative roles.
Those protections are not absolute, however, and the clause remains the subject of ongoing, spirited debate over the separation of powers and what degree of protection members of Congress should enjoy from the other two branches of government.
It is not the first time Boasberg has caught negative attention from Trump or his allies.
The federal judge was the target of Republican impeachment threats earlier this year after he issued an order temporarily pausing Trump’s migrant deportation flights to El Salvador.
Gill and other GOP lawmakers pushing impeachment resolutions backed off of those threats after House Republican leaders suggested it was not the most potent route to affect change.
Original article source: Trump foe Boasberg hit with articles of impeachment
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