Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and several of his Republican colleagues have sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging her to unseal grand jury documents related to the Biden Department of Justice’s (DOJ) “Arctic Frost” probe, which they characterize as a “witch hunt” and “egregious weaponization of government.”
The senators are specifically requesting the application and supporting factual background that led a federal judge to issue a non-disclosure order—a “gag order”—that prevented them from being notified that a grand jury subpoena was seeking their cell phone records.
The “Arctic Frost” Investigation and Gag Order
The letter, also signed by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), details how the Biden-era DOJ, acting under the direction of Special Counsel Jack Smith, obtained cell phone “tolling data” from at least eleven members of Congress in May 2023. This data included the time, recipient, duration, and location of calls placed on their devices between January 4 and January 7, 2021.
Attached to the subpoena was a non-disclosure order, signed by Chief Judge James Boasberg, which cited “reasonable grounds” to conclude that notifying the Senators of the subpoena would result in:
- Destruction of or tampering with evidence.
- Intimidation of potential witnesses.
- Serious jeopardy to the Arctic Frost investigation.
The senators argue that this conclusion “defies both logic and the facts,” asserting they “did nothing wrong” and that there is “zero evidence” to support the claim they would destroy evidence or intimidate witnesses.
Demand for Transparency and Accountability
The core of the senators’ request to Attorney General Bondi is to immediately move to unseal the application that accompanied the gag order. They contend that the Stored Communications Act requires the government to provide a factual background showing reasonable grounds for such an order, and the American people deserve to see this document.
“Jack Smith and the Biden DOJ spied on their political opponents, violated the Constitution, and weaponized the justice system to target members of Congress—all in an effort to go after President Trump,” the letter states. “Unsealing this document is a critical step forward in our efforts to hold accountable Jack Smith, Judge Boasberg, and all individuals who participated in this miscarriage of justice.”
The demand follows earlier actions by Senator Scott, including a separate letter to AG Bondi calling for a DOJ investigation into the probe, and a letter to telecommunications provider Verizon for its compliance with the “secretive surveillance.”
This latest move by the Republican senators intensifies their push for accountability and transparency regarding the “Arctic Frost” probe, which they maintain was a politically motivated abuse of power.
READ: MSNBC Panelists Slam Dems For ‘Caving’ To Trump On Opening Goverment Without ACA Subsidy Extensions
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
