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7m ago

FBI Discloses 2023 Toll-Record Review of GOP Lawmakers in ‘Arctic Frost’ Probe

The internal record shows CAST analyzed subpoenaed call metadata during the election inquiry, prompting new oversight alongside an OSC review of Jack Smith.

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FILE - An FBI seal is seen on a wall on Aug. 10, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. Violent crime in the US dropped again in 2023, according to FBI statistics that show a continued trend downward after a coronavirus pandemic-era crime spike. The report released Monday shows overall violent crime ticked down an estimated 3% in 2023 from the year before, according to the FBI. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Then special counsel Jack Smith speaking to members of the media at the US Department of Justice building in Washington, DC, on August 1, 2023.
Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to reporters Friday, June 9, 2023, in Washington. Former President Donald Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents according to an indictment unsealed on Friday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Overview

  • An FBI document dated Sept. 27, 2023, titled “CAST Assistance,” lists a preliminary toll analysis of call records for eight Republican senators and one House member tied to the bureau’s Arctic Frost investigation.
  • The lawmakers named include Sens. Lindsey Graham, Marsha Blackburn, Ron Johnson, Josh Hawley, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, and Rep. Mike Kelly, according to the record released by Sen. Chuck Grassley.
  • Officials say the analysis covered call metadata such as numbers dialed, timing, duration and general location, not call content, with senators noting the data were obtained via grand-jury subpoenas to carriers in 2023.
  • FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino briefed the affected members on Capitol Hill after the record was located during an internal review responding to Grassley’s oversight request.
  • Republicans condemned the activity as political ‘weaponization’ and demanded accountability, while noting that Arctic Frost fed into Jack Smith’s later election case against President Trump and that the OSC has an open inquiry into Smith’s conduct.