Exposing FBI’s dirty deeds
Washington Times Editorial Board
March 19, 2025
Senators are naming and shaming the FBI agents who participated in an unprecedented surveillance plot against the 45th, and now 47th, president of the United States. Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin asked the FBI and Justice Department on Friday to hand over all files related to Operation Arctic Frost.
In April 2022, senior FBI agent Timothy Thibault self-approved this criminal investigation against Donald Trump, according to documents FBI whistleblowers provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Once the operation was in the system, Mr. Thibault fired off an email to an assistant U.S. attorney: “The case will be prioritized over all others in the Branch. Thank you for you[r] patience, it frankly took too long for us to open this.”
The reason for this haste became more obvious as Senate investigators observed distinct anti-Republican bias in Mr. Thibault’s social media activity, particularly his fondness for liking anti-Trump articles. These items have since been scrubbed, but Mr. Thibault’s case name choice of “Arctic Frost,” a species of orange, tells the story. It’s a dig at Mr. Trump’s complexion.
As soon as Arctic Frost was underway, the G-men rushed to get a warrant to snoop through the contents of Mr. Trump’s official cellphone and the communication devices of his top aides. The purloined information was handed over to Jack Smith, who was appointed special counsel in November 2022, mere days after Mr. Trump launched his 2024 presidential bid.
Mr. Smith’s mission was to secure a conviction that would brand Mr. Trump a “felon” going into the November election. A federal judge in Florida thwarted that ambition after finding Mr. Smith’s appointment unlawful. In the District, Mr. Smith’s second case was gutted by the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity.
What remained of the conspiracy fell apart after voters overwhelmingly chose the Republican candidate who promised to remove Washington’s corrupt actors...
The country is still waiting for Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to release documents shedding light on political scheming from the 2016 Russiagate hoax through Arctic Frost and beyond. Mr. Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, isn’t going to wait.
“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,” he wrote in a letter to Ms. Bondi and Mr. Patel.
In the past, Justice Department document releases redacted the names of all but the highest-ranking agents accused of malfeasance. Mr. Grassley rightly believes public servants have no right to hide what they have done from the people paying their salaries.
We shouldn’t have to rely on whistleblowers. Full disclosure of all relevant material, without redaction, is needed so Congress can take appropriate action to ensure this never happens again.
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