Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says special counsel Jack Smith’s team obtained communications from almost 50 journalists and financial information from thousands of Americans during the “Arctic Frost” probe.
Almost 50 journalists had their communications with government sources scooped up by Smith’s digital dragnet, according to whistleblower disclosures. The affected outlets span Fox News, CNN, CBS News, NBC News, CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times, and New York Magazine.
The Washington Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, NPR, Mark Levin’s syndicated program, and the Media Research Center joined the Federalist on the list of outlets that were targeted.
The subpoena that caught reporters
In June 2023, Smith’s office sent a subpoena demanding text messages from the phones of officials who worked in the first Trump administration. The subpoena caught communications with journalists among its haul.
The subpoena request included at least 87 White House phone numbers. Smith’s office took possession of messages exchanged between Trump White House officials and 44 lawmakers from both parties, spanning from October 2020 through Jan. 20, 2021.
“I stand by my decisions as special counsel, including my decision to bring charges against President Trump,” Smith said during his opening statement.
Donor data and the filter team
At least 4,782 checks written by Americans to fund Trump’s political campaigns between September 2019 and August 2023 were obtained by Smith’s team have been disclosed through other whistleblower reports. Prosecutors examined the bank account numbers and home addresses of the Republican donors involved.
Smith’s office put a “filter” team in place after the disclosures came to light. Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) demanded the records from the National Archives in May after learning Smith’s prosecutors received digital communications.
Smith’s response
Grassley opened by claiming that his investigation into Trump was what had led to Smith “undermined the rule of law and threatened our very political institutions”.
Smith responded directly to the allegations. “I made these decisions without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election,” he said.
Smith previously testified he couldn’t “recall” whether he sought the content of text messages from lawmakers and wasn’t asked about reporter communications Tuesday.
The constitutional question
Grassley and other Republicans allege Smith’s moves may have run afoul of the Constitution’s Speech and Debate Clause.
| Target | What was seized |
|---|---|
| Almost 50 journalists | Communications with government sources |
| At least 4,782 donors | Bank account numbers and home addresses |
| 44 lawmakers | Messages between Trump White House officials |
What the disclosures show
The documents show a broad gathering of information that drew in journalists, donors, and lawmakers across the board.
A subpoena seeking 87 White House phone numbers illustrates how the dragnet operated.
A group tasked with managing the flood of information gathered was set up, a response to the sheer scale of what had been accumulated.
Trump remains under investigation by Smith, and any answers to the questions raised by these disclosures are likely still to come.
Source material: “Jack Smith’s team got texts of dozens of reporters, bank info from thousands of Americans: Grassley,” the New York Post.
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