Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, revealed on Tuesday that conservative leader Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA was one of the Republican-linked groups targeted by "Arctic Frost," the FBI case that began as former prosecutor Jack Smith's elector charge against President Donald Trump.
In his opening statement to the Senate Judiciary FBI Oversight Hearing, Grassley started with a brief moment of prayer for Kirk and praised the work done by FBI Director Kash Patel. Grassley said how the FBI had become "infected with politics" under the previous leadership and then noted how the case known as Arctic Frost "was much broader than an electoral matter."
"Arctic Frost was the FBI case opened and approved by anti-Trump FBI agent [Timothy] Thibault. Arctic Frost became Jack Smith's elector case. These new records show that Arctic Frost was much broader than just an electoral matter. The case was expanded to Republican organizations."
"Some examples of the groups the [then-Director Christopher] Wray FBI sought to place under political investigation included the Republican National Committee, Republican Attorneys General Association, and Trump political groups. On that political list was one of Charlie Kirk's groups, Turning Point USA. In other words, Arctic Frost wasn't just a case to politically investigate Trump," Grassley said.
The Turning Point USA CEO was assassinated at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem last Wednesday. Police have identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in the slaying. Robinson is currently being held without bail in the Utah County Jail on the order of state Judge Shawn Rice Howell.
In November of 2022, former Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith to investigate Trump over his alleged role in the Jan. 6 protests on Capitol Hill and the alleged handling of classified documents. Grassley revealed in January of 2025 that he had obtained communications through FBI whistleblowers that showed "a politically-driven conspiracy among anti-Trump agents and prosecutors in setting up and advancing the Arctic Frost investigation."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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