The Steady Drip: Sens. Grassley, Johnson Demand Answers on Jack Smith's Phone Record Grabs (Connecting the Dots: Jack Smith, Merrick Garland, Barack Obama, The Harvard Law Review, Barack Obama Administration, The Brookings Institution, AT&T, Verizon & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Harvard Law School

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Law_School

Sens. Grassley, Johnson Demand Answers on Jack Smith's Phone Record Grabs (Connecting the Dots: Jack Smith, Merrick Garland, Barack Obama, The Harvard Law Review, Barack Obama Administration, The Brookings Institution, AT&T, Verizon & Soros Funding, All Networking)

Newsmax.com

By Charlie McCarthy | Thursday, 13 November 2025 12:38 PM EST

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/grassley-ron-johnson-jack-smith/2025/11/13/id/1234413/

Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., are pressing major telecommunications companies to fully explain their roles in the Biden administration's "Arctic Frost" investigation.

According to a media report, special counsel Jack Smith sought the private, personal cellphone records of then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

In a new oversight push, Grassley and Johnson sent letters to Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen demanding details on any subpoenas tied to the FBI's "Arctic Frost" probe, which targeted communications of Republican lawmakers, organizations, and private citizens.

According to the senators' press release, records obtained from the National Archives inspector general show officials at the National Archives and Records Administration, the FBI, the Justice Department, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service discussing subpoenas to the carriers as they jointly pursued the investigation.

The subpoenas referenced in those internal emails predate Smith's formal appointment as special counsel, yet the companies have not produced any matching documents, Grassley and Johnson said.

The senators have also written to Southern First Bank, Microsoft, TDS Telecommunications, and several major tech and social media platforms to determine whether they, too, received secret demands for Republican data.

Whistleblowers previously told the senators that more than 400 Republican individuals and groups were swept up in "Arctic Frost," and that phone records for at least 13 lawmakers, including former Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, were subpoenaed.

Fox News Digital reported Smith's team went even higher, seeking toll records in January 2023 for the personal cellphones of McCarthy and Gohmert. The request was flagged inside the FBI in a "Significant Case Notification" memo.

McCarthy blasted the move as a "blatant weaponizing of the Justice Department to attack political opponents of the Biden administration," vowing to seek legal redress and predicting Congress will demand accountability for what he called an "illegal attempt" to access lawmakers' records.

AT&T told Grassley that Smith sent a grand jury subpoena for records involving two members of Congress, later identified as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and McCarthy.

The company said that after it questioned the legal basis for targeting sitting lawmakers, Smith's office declined to pursue the subpoena and "no records were produced."

Even so, Grassley said "Arctic Frost" "looks more and more out of control with each passing day," describing it as a political "fishing expedition" against Republicans "from top to bottom."

The probe, opened inside the FBI in April 2022 and later handed to Smith, ultimately produced a now-dismissed election case against Donald Trump while costing taxpayers more than $50 million.

Smith insists his data collection was "narrowly tailored" and compliant with DOJ policy.

But for conservatives, the idea that Biden's DOJ secretly plotted to track the private communications of the House speaker and multiple GOP senators is yet another alarming sign of a weaponized federal law-enforcement apparatus.

Connecting the Dots:

Jack Smith was appointed by Merrick Garland as special counsel at the United States Department of Justice in charge of investigations into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and former President Donald Trump's potential mishandling of classified documents and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith, was the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for the Joe Biden Administration and an editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Barack Obama was the president of the Harvard Law Review and the president for the Barack Obama Administration.

Danielle C. Gray was an editor for the Harvard Law Review and an assistant to the president for the Barack Obama Administration.

Ronald A. Klain was an editor for the Harvard Law Review and a coordinator of government Ebola efforts for the Barack Obama Administration.

Blake Roberts was an editor for the Harvard Law Review and is the deputy associate counsel for the Barack Obama Administration.

Michael B.G. Froman was an editor for the Harvard Law Review, an assistant to the president for the Barack Obama Administration and is Barack Obama’s law school friend.

Crystal Nix Hines was Barack Obama’s law school friend and a supervising editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Nancy L. McCullough is Barack Obama’s law school friend and was an editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Jonathan T. Molot is Barack Obama’s law school friend and was an editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Thomas J. Perrelli is Barack Obama’s law school friend and was a managing editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Michael J. Gottleib was an editor for the Harvard Law Review and is an associate counsel for the Barack Obama Administration.

Harold H. Koh was a developments editor for the Harvard Law Review, a State Department legal adviser for the Barack Obama Administration and a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

George Soros is the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

AT&T Inc. was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Laura D'Andrea Tyson was a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and is a director at AT&T Inc.

Hugh B. Price was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and is a director at Verizon Communications Inc.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle and a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP.

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP is a lobby firm for AT&T Inc.

James W. Cicconi was a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, is an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a senior EVP for AT&T Inc.

Mayer Brown is a lobby firm for AT&T Inc.

Robert A. Helman is a partner at Mayer Brown, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

William M. Daley was a partner at Mayer Brown, the chief of staff for the Barack Obama administration and is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

William M. Daley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._Daley

Professional career

Daley returned to the practice of law, as a partner with the firm Mayer Brown (then Mayer, Brown & Platt) from 1993 to 1997.

Cyrus F. Freidheim Jr. is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Valerie B. Jarrett is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, Vernon E. Jordan Jr’s great niece and the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration.

Harold H. Koh was a State Department legal adviser for the Barack Obama Administration, a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and a developments editor for the Harvard Law Review.

Jack Smith received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, was appointed by Merrick Garland as special counsel at the United States Department of Justice in charge of investigations into efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and former President Donald Trump's potential mishandling of classified documents.

Merrick Garland an editor for the Harvard Law Review, appointed Jack Smith and was the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for the Joe Biden Administration.