Overview
- Sen. Chuck Grassley released a four-page April 2022 memo with handwritten approvals from Merrick Garland, Lisa Monaco and Chris Wray to open a full sensitive investigation into alleged fraudulent electors.
- The document describes an evidentiary basis drawn from open-source reporting, podcasts and public statements rather than confidential sources or independent corroboration.
- FBI Washington Field Office actions that followed included subpoenas for phone tolling data covering Jan. 4–7, 2021 for at least nine Republican lawmakers, according to prior disclosures.
- Special counsel Jack Smith’s team cited news reports in 2023 when deciding to seek those phone records and has said the steps complied with DOJ policy.
- Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson are demanding DOJ and FBI communications and subpoena copies, while House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan set an Oct. 28 deadline for Smith to provide documents and sit for a transcribed interview.