
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has made public a set of whistleblower records revealing that the FBI’s 2020 election investigation into President Donald Trump was launched by a known anti-Trump agent operating outside proper channels. The internal documents show that Timothy Thibault, a former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge, played a leading role in crafting the case that Special Counsel Jack Smith later took over.
The investigation, labeled “Arctic Frost,” was formally opened on April 13, 2022. Emails and records obtained by Grassley indicate that Thibault not only drafted the initial case language but also pushed forward investigative steps that were outside his authority. FBI procedures require certain levels of authorization to open a case of this nature, yet Thibault reportedly bypassed those requirements to initiate the probe.
In my opening statement at Kash Patel’s hrg I revealed never b4 seen whistleblower records proving w/o a doubt that anti-Trump FBI agent Tim Thibault launched elector case 2target Trump Perfect example of FBI politicization FBI NEEDS CHANGE Kash Patel is the right person to do it
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) January 30, 2025
Records also show that Richard Pilger, a DOJ Public Integrity Section official, signed off on the Arctic Frost investigation, giving the Justice Department the green light to move forward with a full criminal probe and grand jury proceedings. Grassley had previously raised concerns about Pilger’s involvement in politically sensitive cases, including those targeting conservative figures.
At the Kash Patel senate hearing, Senator Grassley releases previously unseen FBI emails referencing project “Arctic Frost,” proving the FBI’s efforts to prosecute Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/rKRt0Iq28X
— Timcast News (@TimcastNews) January 30, 2025
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI Director, Grassley cited the whistleblower disclosures as further proof of the bureau’s political bias. “Our law enforcement agencies have become tools for political agendas,” he said, emphasizing that officials within the DOJ and FBI coordinated to take down Trump.
https://twitter.com/15poundstogo/status/1885122385839304782
Emails included in the released documents show Thibault discussing the case with DOJ officials and FBI agents. One email from a subordinate informed Thibault that Trump had been officially added as a criminal subject, to which he replied, “Perfect.” Another exchange revealed that edits were made to case-opening documents, though it remains unclear who authorized changes that ultimately led to Trump’s prosecution.
Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) have demanded that Jack Smith preserve all records related to Arctic Frost. The newly released documents provide insight into how the FBI’s investigation was initiated and raise questions about the motivations behind Trump’s prosecution.