Newly released documents show former special counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost probe illegally seized communications from dozens of journalists and lawmakers, prompting demands for an anti‑weaponization fund.
‘A Runaway Political Train’
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley released a tranche of records indicating Smith’s team accessed communications from 17 news outlets, including The Federalist, and targeted nearly 50 journalists, according to the documents.
Grassley said the operation “blew through constitutional stop signs,” noting that Smith’s investigators obtained text messages from more than 40 members of Congress, including himself, and subpoenaed nearly 5,000 checks written by Trump donors.
Sen. Ron Johnson called the probe “another grotesque example of the Biden administration’s weaponization of the Justice Department,” adding that he too was spied on.
‘Exploring All Legal Options’
Sean Davis, CEO and co‑founder of The Federalist, said the documents prove Smith was not only targeting Donald Trump but also spying on conservative media.
Davis questioned whether the investigation accessed phones, text messages, metadata or emails, and said he is “exploring all legal options” to hold Smith accountable.
Mollie Hemingway posted on X that she was “sickened” by the revelation that her journalistic communications were obtained, and noted her role in debunking the Russia collusion narrative.
‘They Deserve Restitution’
The Federalist CEO urged creation of an anti‑weaponization fund to compensate victims of prosecutorial abuse, citing cases involving parents harassed at school board meetings, pro‑life activists sentenced for praying outside clinics, and whistleblowers.
Attorney General Todd Blanche paused the proposed $1.8 billion fund after pressure from Democrats and Republican leaders, while a Clinton‑appointed judge and an appeals panel rejected claims that Trump and the Justice Department colluded in its creation.
Legal analyst Margaret Harker said Smith’s secret subpoena of a sitting senator’s records and the accompanying nondisclosure order violated the Speech or Debate Clause, calling the conduct “blatant.”
Davis reiterated that victims must be made whole and that the weaponization fund should be reinstated to prevent future abuse.
