Artic Frost: FBI Probe Became a Sweeping Inquiry into Conservative Spheres
In April 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alongside multiple federal agencies, launched a covert operation code-named “Arctic Frost. Initially, the investigation targeted alleged “false electors” in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. As the probe grew, its mandate expanded well beyond Trump affiliates, encompassing a wide range of Republican figures and organizations, including the Republican National Committee and Turning Point USA (TPUSA). Source: Deseret News
The Origins: Fake Electors to Arctic Frost
Arctic Frost was set up to examine suspected attempts to overturn the 2020 election results via falsified elector slates. The investigation spanned several agencies, including the FBI, the DOJ’s Office of Inspector General, the Postal Inspection Service, and the National Archives.
In November 2022, the probe moved under the oversight of Special Counsel Jack Smith, aligning it with broader investigations into Trump and his network.
Expanding Scope: Beyond Individual Actors
After its inception, whistleblowers report that Arctic Frost broadened to encompass 92 Republican entities and individuals. The FBI issued 197 subpoenas to 34 individuals and 163 businesses, securing communications, banking records, and emails, and did so under gag orders to maintain secrecy. The bureau even accessed metadata (“tolling data”) from the personal cell phones of eight Republican senators as part of the investigation. [Sources: Breitbart.com, newsweek.com, Judiciary.Senate.gov]
Said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R–Iowa), “Based on the evidence to date, Arctic Frost and related weaponization by federal law enforcement under Biden was arguably worse than Watergate.”
Turning Point USA Comes into Focus
In September 2025, Senator Grassley revealed that TPUSA, led by late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was among the organizations on Arctic Frost’s radar, cited alongside the RNC and Republican Attorneys General Association.
Outlets like Fox News, The Washington Examiner, and Breitbart corroborated that TPUSA was indeed swept into the probe of conservative groups under Arctic Frost.
Grassley emphasized witness claims that Arctic Frost extended far beyond its original purpose, venturing into areas suggesting political motives, potentially “improperly investigat[ing] the entire Republican political apparatus”.
Fallout and Criticism
Republican leaders like Sen. Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson decried Arctic Frost’s actions as abuses of federal power and political weaponization. FBI Director Kash Patel announced a criminal review of individuals involved in the probe, aiming to hold agents, analysts, and lawyers accountable.
The House Judiciary Committee secured subpoenas for testimony from figures like Special Counsel Smith, and senators sought further information from key FBI leadership. [Source: Justthenews.com]
Why This Matters: Civil Liberties at Stake
Arctic Frost’s expansion into political groups raises questions about First and Fourth Amendment protections, particularly when data collection targets non-criminal entities, such as TPUSA.
The exposed overreach by the FBI doesn’t just impact high-profile Conservative figures and organizations. It’s a direct hit to the privacy and freedoms we are entitled to as American citizens.
What began as a narrow probe of election-related conspiracy evolved into one of the most sweeping federal investigations of conservative groups in recent history. Turning Point USA’s inclusion under Arctic Frost exemplifies heightened tensions between national security enforcement and political expression. With criminal reviews underway and congressional scrutiny mounting, the inquiry's continuing developments will shape the balance between security and civil liberties for years to come.
