FBI Director Kash Patel has terminated agents and dismantled a task force after discovering they covertly monitored phone records of eight Republican senators and one congressman as part of former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” investigation. Patel revealed the files were hidden in a “lockbox” inside a secure vault.
The senators named include Lindsey Graham, Marsha Blackburn, Josh Hawley, Ron Johnson, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty, Dan Sullivan, and Tommy Tuberville, along with Representative Mike Kelly. Communications data—such as call times, durations, and recipients—was collected via subpoena from major phone carriers. The content of the calls was not accessed.
Patel framed the move as clearing out the “weaponization” of law enforcement. He said the surveillance was buried intentionally and required high-level approvals, including from the Attorney General and former FBI leadership, to be hidden. In dismantling the “CR‑15” public corruption squad, Patel declared an era of politicized investigations is over.
Sen. Josh Hawley condemned the operation as an abuse of power “beyond Watergate,” saying it undermines the constitutional separation of powers and free speech protections. Sen. Cynthia Lummis demanded full disclosure from the FBI, calling the surveillance “one of the most serious infringements” on lawmakers’ duties.
The revelations stem from documents obtained by Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, showing that in early January 2021, the FBI collected toll‑record data on those lawmakers. That material was stored in a “Prohibited Access” file system—designed to limit internal access—until Patel uncovered it.
Patel claims this purge is only the beginning. He pledged further accountability and said no one involved will escape scrutiny. The DOJ and FBI now face intense pressure to release records showing who ordered the surveillance and whether it extended beyond call logs.
