{"id":2502455,"date":"2025-10-23T17:10:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T21:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/garland-wray-and-monaco-personally-approved-fbi-arctic-frost-probe-memo-shows\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T17:13:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T21:13:55","slug":"garland-wray-and-monaco-personally-approved-fbi-arctic-frost-probe-memo-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/garland-wray-and-monaco-personally-approved-fbi-arctic-frost-probe-memo-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"Garland, Wray, and Monaco personally approved FBI Arctic Frost probe, memo shows"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgarland-wray-and-monaco-personally-approved-fbi-arctic-frost-probe-memo-shows%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2502455&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A newly declassified memo reveals that Attorney General Merrick garland,Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco,and FBI Director Chris Wray personally approved the launch of the &#8220;Arctic Frost&#8221; inquiry,which later led to a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >criminal election interference indictment targeting<\/a> former President Donald Trump and several GOP lawmakers. The memo,dated April 2022,authorized a sensitive FBI probe based largely on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russias-latest-military-maneuvers-suggest-a-long-destructive-battle-for-ukraine\/\" title=\"Russia\u2019s Latest Military Maneuvers Suggest A Long, Destructive Battle For Ukraine\">open-source information<\/a>,media reports,and public statements without confidential sources or self-reliant corroboration. This investigation resulted in subpoenas for phone data from at least nine Republican members of Congress and Trump campaign aides.<\/p>\n<p>Special Counsel Jack Smith, who used Arctic Frost as the basis for his indictment against Trump, acknowledged that media reports influenced the decision to subpoena GOP lawmakers&#8217; phone records in 2023, citing compliance with DOJ policies. The scope of Arctic Frost was broad, including subpoenas of financial records from numerous Republican groups and individuals, which has drawn criticism from GOP senators and members of congress. Senators Chuck grassley and Ron Johnson are pushing for full openness by requesting all relevant DOJ and FBI records related to Arctic frost, arguing that the FBI&#8217;s surveillance represents a serious intrusion on congressional independence. Congressional oversight and demands for disclosure continue as investigations progress.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Garland, Wray signed off on memo that greenlit Arctic Frost investigation into Trump and GOP lawmakers<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2376151\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Attorney General <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/merrick-garland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Merrick Garland<\/a> and ranking Biden administration Justice Department officials signed off on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3810255\/fbi-arctic-frost-charlie-kirk-turning-point-grassley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arctic Frost&nbsp;investigation<\/a>, which later evolved into&nbsp;the criminal&nbsp;election interference indictment targeting President&nbsp;Donald Trump, according to a newly declassified memo released Thursday by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-grassley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chuck Grassley<\/a> (R-IA).<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grassley.senate.gov\/imo\/media\/doc\/doj_approval_to_open_arctic_frost.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">four-page memo<\/a>, signed by then-FBI Director Chris Wray and dated&nbsp;April 4, 2022, sought Garland&rsquo;s authorization for a&nbsp;&ldquo;full sensitive investigative matter&rdquo;&nbsp;based on &ldquo;open source reporting and public statements&rdquo; about alleged &ldquo;fraudulent certificates of electors&rdquo; following the 2020 election. Garland approved the request the next day, alongside then-Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco&rsquo;s handwritten note:&nbsp;&ldquo;Merrick &mdash; I recommend you approve.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3861305\/nba-stars-coach-among-31-arrested-in-fbi-sports-betting-crackdown\/\">NBA stars, coach among 31 arrested in FBI sports betting crackdown: &#8216;The fraud is mind boggling&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3859607\/trump-administration-argues-no-time-limit-on-power-to-deploy-national-guard\/\">Trump administration argues no time-limit on power to deploy National Guard<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3859663\/jack-smith-lawyers-say-media-reports-prompted-subpoena-gop-lawmakers\/\">Jack Smith lawyers admit media reports prompted phone records subpoena of GOP lawmakers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"scribd_iframe_embed\" title=\"Doj Approval to Open Arctic Frost\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/embeds\/937370594\/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;access_key=key-OQ4YmBPMEC8tb3NGt4KN\" tabindex=\"0\" data-auto-height=\"true\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.7729220222793488\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe> <\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; display: block;\"> <a title=\"View Doj Approval to Open Arctic Frost on Scribd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/937370594\/Doj-Approval-to-Open-Arctic-Frost#from_embed\" style=\"color: #098642; text-decoration: underline;\">  Doj Approval to Open Arctic Frost <\/a> by <a title=\"View reportoftheday's profile on Scribd\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/user\/697301857\/reportoftheday#from_embed\" style=\"color: #098642; text-decoration: underline;\"> reportoftheday <\/a> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Proof that Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland + Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco + FBI Dir Chris Wray all PERSONALLY APPROVED opening Arctic Frost,&rdquo; Grassley wrote on X. &ldquo;This investigation unleashed unchecked government power at the highest levels. My oversight will continue.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco speaks with reporters about an antitrust lawsuit against real estate software company RealPage during a news conference at the Department of Justice, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Washington. At left is Attorney General Merrick Garland. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-memo-reveals-limited-evidentiary-basis\">Memo reveals limited evidentiary basis<\/h2>\n<p>The FBI memo outlined no confidential sources or independent corroboration of suspected wrongdoing, relying instead on&nbsp;media reporting, podcasts, and public statements&nbsp;by individuals described as being &ldquo;closely associated with Donald J. Trump, Inc. (Trump Campaign)&hellip;&rdquo; It concluded that those statements provided &ldquo;an articulable factual basis&rdquo; to justify a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/feds-cant-trust-utah-to-execute-charlie-kirks-murderer\/\" title=\"Feds Can...t Trust Utah To Execute Charlie Kirk...s Murderer\">full federal investigation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the limited details, the memo authorized the&nbsp;FBI&rsquo;s Washington Field Office&nbsp;to pursue an expansive probe that ultimately produced&nbsp;subpoenas for the phone data of at least nine Republican members of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Congress<\/a>, as well as data connected to Trump and his campaign aides.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-connection-to-smith-s-tolling-data-subpoenas\">Connection to Smith&rsquo;s tolling data subpoenas<\/h2>\n<p>Earlier this week, former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fmr-dni-ratcliffe-i-expect-quite-a-few-more-indictments-to-come-from-durham-probe\/\" title=\"Fmr DNI Ratcliffe: I Expect &#039;Quite a Few More Indictments&#039; to Come from Durham Probe\">special counsel&#038;nbsp<\/a>;Jack Smith, who ultimately relied on Arctic Frost as the springboard for his electors indictment against Trump, admitted through his legal team that media reports also played a key role&nbsp;in deciding to subpoena the phone records of the nine GOP lawmakers in 2023, though Smith&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-ruling-means-nycs-restrictions-on-gun-licensing-are-unconstitutional-federal-judge\/\" title=\"NYC...s gun licensing restrictions deemed unconstitutional by Supreme Court.\">lawyers defended<\/a> the subpoena for GOP lawmakers&rsquo; phone data as having been compliant with &ldquo;established Department of Justice policy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to reporters Friday, June 9, 2023, in Washington. Smith&rsquo;s investigations of Donald Trump&rsquo;s retention of classified records and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election have cost more than $9 million over the first several months, according to documents released Friday, July 7. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Smith&rsquo;s attorneys&nbsp;Lanny Breuer&nbsp;and&nbsp;Peter Koski cited stories from CNN,&nbsp;<em>The Dispatch,<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Business Insider<\/em>, which alleged Trump and Rudy Giuliani called senators during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3859663\/jack-smith-lawyers-say-media-reports-prompted-subpoena-gop-lawmakers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">justification for the phone records subpoenas<\/a>. They claimed the toll data covered only a&nbsp;four-day window&nbsp;from Jan. 4&ndash;7, 2021, and were intended to verify those reports.<\/p>\n<p>House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) has asked Smith to sit for a transcribed interview and for all records related to his oversight of the Trump criminal cases and any possible &ldquo;communications between you and any political appointee or senior career official&rdquo; in the Biden administration related to his work. Smith has a deadline of Oct. 28 to respond, <a href=\"https:\/\/judiciary.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/republicans-judiciary.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/2025-10-14-jdj-to-smith-re-ti-request.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">according<\/a> to a letter sent last week.<\/p>\n<p>It remains unclear whether the DOJ apprehended any direct communications information related to the lawmakers, though it is clear through previous disclosures that the scope of Arctic Frost was much broader. On Sept. 16, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3810255\/fbi-arctic-frost-charlie-kirk-turning-point-grassley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Grassley revealed that 92 Republican targets were subject to financial records subpoenas<\/a>, including the Republican National Committee and Turning Point USA, among dozens of other groups and individuals.<\/p>\n<p>Grassley has said the subpoenas against GOP lawmakers were &ldquo;arguably worse than Watergate,&rdquo; while Sen.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marsha-blackburn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Marsha Blackburn<\/a>&nbsp;(R-TN) and four other GOP senators sent a letter to Attorney General <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pam-bondi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pam Bondi<\/a> referring the matter to DOJ&rsquo;s&nbsp;Office of Professional Responsibility&nbsp;for potential disciplinary review, saying that officials should consider Smith for disbarment.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ongoing-congressional-push-for-transparency\">Ongoing congressional push for transparency<\/h2>\n<p>Grassley and Sen.&nbsp;Ron Johnson&nbsp;(R-WI) are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.judiciary.senate.gov\/press\/rep\/releases\/grassley-and-johnson-lead-colleagues-in-seeking-release-of-all-doj-fbi-records-detailing-biden-administrations-targeting-of-sitting-members-of-congress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">asking the Trump administration&rsquo;s DOJ and FBI to turn over&nbsp;all responsive records related to Arctic Frost<\/a>, including internal communications, White House correspondence, and copies of the subpoenas issued to phone carriers. The lawmakers argue the FBI&rsquo;s collection of congressional call data represents &ldquo;an unprecedented intrusion&rdquo; into a separate branch of government.<\/p>\n<p>The Senate Judiciary Committee is still waiting for those records before committing to scheduling additional public hearing dates about the recent revelations from the DOJ.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Garland, Wray approved memo launching Arctic Frost probe into Trump and GOP lawmakers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2502456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25016804106377.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[10151,65786,16521],"class_list":["post-2502455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-garland","tag-monaco","tag-wray"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25016804106377.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2502455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2502455"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2502455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2502459,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2502455\/revisions\/2502459"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2502456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2502455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2502455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2502455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}