Exclusive: House Republican seeks criminal investigation into Jack Smith's alleged surveillance scheme



Since former DOJ special counsel Jack Smith's alleged surveillance scheme surfaced earlier this month, House Republicans are leading the charge to bring justice.

Republican Rep. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, a member of the Republican Study Committee, urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to open a criminal investigation into Smith for his apparent involvement with Operation Arctic Frost, according to a letter obtained by Blaze News. During former President Joe Biden's administration, the FBI obtained private cellphone information from nine Republican lawmakers, an internal document indicated, in what appears to be an ideologically motivated instance of government weaponization.

'Weaponizing the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency to spy on political opponents is what we expect from authoritarian regimes.'

Brecheen's call for an investigation is also in accordance with President Donald Trump's executive order entitled "Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government," which Trump signed the same day he was inaugurated.

Since the scandal broke, the FBI has opened an internal investigation, firing several agents who were involved in the operation. As of this writing, the Department of Justice has not yet opened a criminal investigation, leading Brecheen and his co-signatories to be the first federal group to call for a criminal investigation into the operation.

RELATED: 'WORSE THAN WATERGATE': Republicans demand answers after documents reveal FBI spied on 9 GOP lawmakers

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“The Biden administration used Operation Arctic Frost to target its political opponents by authorizing covert surveillance on elected members of the Republican Party," Brecheen told Blaze News. "We cannot let the Biden administration and special counsel Jack Smith get away with this direct violation of the Constitution.”

Many prominent lawmakers, including Brecheen, have characterized the scandal as a modern-day Watergate, according to the letter obtained exclusively by Blaze News. Brecheen also warned that if high-profile politicians can have their privacy violated for ideological purposes, ordinary Americans could too.

'The Bureau could easily be directed against individual citizens.'

"The revelation that the Biden Administration directed the FBI to surveil duly elected American lawmakers is indeed a scandal of magnitude our country has not seen since Watergate," the letter reads. "Let us be clear: weaponizing the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency to spy on political opponents is what we expect from authoritarian regimes such as North Korea or Iran, not the United States."

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"The ramifications of this unprecedented scandal, however, stretch far beyond the lawmakers who were surveilled," the letter reads. "By empowering federal agents to secretly monitor the private phone calls of sitting United States Senators, Jack Smith set the sinister precedent that the same form of covert surveillance can and will be deployed against law-abiding American citizens."

"If the FBI could be so readily weaponized against powerful figures in our government, then it is not difficult to conclude that the Bureau could easily be directed against individual citizens."

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Former national security adviser John Bolton indicted by federal grand jury



On Wednesday, a grand jury convened to consider charges against John Bolton, a national security adviser in President Trump's first term and a longtime Trump critic.

On Thursday afternoon, the grand jury came to a decision.

A Justice Department official previously told the New York Post that the case they had against him was 'airtight.'

The 76-year-old former Trump adviser was indicted by a grand jury on 18 counts related to mishandling classified information, eight counts of transmission of national defense information, and 10 counts of unlawful retention of NDI, according to a DOJ press release.

“There is one tier of justice for all Americans,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement, according to the press release. “Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law.”

RELATED: 'NO ONE is above the law': FBI raids former national security adviser John Bolton's home

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According to a Wednesday New York Post report, the grand jury considered charges against Bolton over his alleged sharing of highly sensitive classified materials on a private email server. A Justice Department official previously told the New York Post that the case they had against him was "airtight."

Bolton stands accused of sending classified information on a private AOL email account as well as keeping "diary-like notes" during his time in the first administration.

Thursday's indictment signals a major milestone in a months-long investigation — with potentially dire consequences.

According to the heavily redacted search warrant affidavit, reviewed by AP upon its September release and used by the FBI to justify its August raid of Bolton's Maryland house, an unredacted section heading reads, "Hack of Bolton AOL Account by Foreign Entity."

More details on the nature of the hack or the "foreign entity" were unavailable due to redactions.

If convicted, Bolton could face up to 10 years in prison for each count, the press release said.

According to CNBC, Trump said in response to the news of Bolton's indictment: "You're telling me for the first time, but I think he's, you know, a bad person. I think he's a bad — yeah, he's a bad guy. It's too bad. But that's the way it goes, right? That's the way it goes."

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DOJ Brings Terrorism Charges Against ‘Militant’ Antifa Cell That Attacked ICE Facility

A federal grand jury indicted two alleged Antifa members on counts of “providing material support to terrorists,” the “attempted murder of officers and employees of the United States,” and “discharging firearms during, in relation to, and in furtherance of a crime of violence,” according to the indictment. These are reportedly the first terrorism charges associated […]

DOJ files first terrorism-related charges against alleged 'Antifa Cell' after ICE attack: 'Get to the rifles'



The Department of Justice under President Trump has formally filed what appear to be the first known charges related to Antifa as a terrorist organization.

In early July, Antifa gunmen were allegedly involved in a violent ambush outside a federal facility in Texas called the Prairieland Detention Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Alvarado, Texas.

'Antifa adherents have increasingly targeted agents.'

In a document citing the incident, the federal government provided more details about an alleged Antifa terror cell.

A "North Texas Antifa Cell" of at least 11 operatives who were "clad in black and donning masks" attacked the detention center on the Fourth of July, 2025, the DOJ wrote in court documents. The government alleged that some of the operatives were wearing body armor and carrying firearms as well.

The documents, obtained by Fox News and filed in the Northern District of Texas on October 15, alleged that the Antifa cell members were "shooting fireworks towards the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shed."

When the DHS called local police, alleged Antifa members then started issuing disturbing directives.

RELATED: ‘SURREAL’: Glenn Beck shares what it was like talking to the FBI about Antifa

Mark David Smith/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

As Alvarado police were issuing commands to a "black-clad figure," one accused Antifa member allegedly yelled, "Get to the rifles."

That same person then allegedly opened fire on officers, hitting one in the neck area. The wounded officer fell to the ground but was able to return fire.

The accused continued to fire additional rounds until his rifle jammed, which is when the attackers fled the scene, the document added. Police also reportedly found a flag reading, "Resist Fascism. Fight Oligarchy."

Prosecutors previously described the incident as an "ambush" and a "coordinated attack."

RELATED: If Trump labels Antifa a foreign terrorist organization, here's what he can do next

Police arrested most of the alleged Antifa cell after the attack. Many were arrested near the scene of the crimes, the DOJ wrote. Alleged Antifa members Zachary Evetts and Cameron Arnold, aka Autumn Hill, were named in the document.

The DOJ claimed that the Antifa cell subscribes to "revolutionary anarchist or autonomous Marxist ideology," which explicitly calls for "the overthrow of the United States Government."

"Antifa adherents have increasingly targeted agents and facilities related to DHS's Immigration and Customs Enforcement," the document added.

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‘SURREAL’: Glenn Beck shares what it was like talking to the FBI about Antifa



Now that President Trump has designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, unleashing the Department of Justice to investigate its funding networks, operations, and supporters, the mainstream media’s marching orders are: Revive the narrative that Antifa doesn’t exist.

Jimmy Kimmel, CNN’s Erin Burnett, and "The View’s" Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, among a long list of other media figures and Democrat officials, are claiming that Antifa is nothing more than an “imaginary” entity — a boogeyman used by the far right to vilify leftist activism.

Glenn Beck, however, has been sounding the alarm on the very real and insidious network that is Antifa. Last week, he aired the following episode exposing the hidden support and funding networks propping up the terrorist organization.

Soon after the episode dropped, Glenn was contacted by the FBI.

“Saturday I get a phone call: ‘The director would like to send over some agents to speak to you, Glenn,’” he recounts.

Shortly after, three FBI agents were sitting in his living room. Glenn called his head researcher, Jason Buttrill, to come over, and they spoke with the agents for two hours.

While the experience was “surreal,” it was also eye-opening.

“Let me just say this: Finally, we have an administration and an FBI director that is willing to go in deep — not surface, but deep,” says Glenn. “I can only imagine what we could have avoided if anyone in an administration would have done this in 2011.”

Glenn has a warning for anyone who has even loose ties to Antifa: “I would be very concerned. … The FBI is deadass serious.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Donald Trump, Kash Patel, and all of the agents at the FBI,” he says.

This is what we’ve been waiting for.

As for the mainstream media talking heads pushing the narrative that Antifa doesn’t exist, Glenn says, that's "like saying al-Qaeda doesn’t exist.”

Their "logic" is basically that since there’s no headquarters address or HR department, then it doesn’t exist.

“It is a real point used in an intentionally dumb way to mislead,” says co-host Stu Burguiere. If anything, the fact that Antifa is “disengaged from a centralized [entity]” makes the group “more dangerous.”

And yet mainstream figures are pushing a false narrative to make it seem like Antifa is “not a threat.”

“They know it's not accurate, and they're trying to mislead people,” says Stu.

To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip above.

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'Ultimate hypocrisy': Murkowski, now whining about Comey indictment, sang a different tune when Dems went after Trump



Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Democrats on Monday in complaining about ex-FBI Director James Comey's Sept. 25 indictment by a grand jury, suggesting that the White House may have applied undue influence on the Justice Department.

Murkowski's concern comes across as insincere in light of how she responded in 2023 to President Donald Trump's indictment over his handling of classified documents — an indictment made possible with the help of the Biden White House.

When asked about the senator's response, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement to Blaze News, "The Trump administration will continue to deliver the truth to the American people and restore integrity to our justice system. It is the ultimate hypocrisy to accuse President Trump of what Joe Biden actively did throughout his presidency: engaging in lawfare against his political opponents."

"The indictment against Comey, by a grand jury, speaks for itself, and the Trump administration looks forward to fair proceedings in the courts," added Jackson.

Quick background

Comey was indicted on Sept. 25 on charges of making a false statement to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding.

'The charges in this case are quite serious and cannot be casually dismissed.'

Comey made the alleged false testimony to Congress on two occasions. However, owing to the relevant five-year statute of limitations, the second instance, in 2020, is at issue.

During a Senate hearing in 2017, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked Comey whether he had "ever authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports about the Trump investigation or the Clinton investigation." Comey responded, "No."

RELATED: Released FBI docs reveal Comey allegedly used media mole to plant info at New York Times for Russian collusion investigation

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During a Senate hearing in 2020, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) referenced Grassley's question, cited contradictory testimony provided by ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, then prompted Comey to respond. Comey said, "I stand by the testimony you summarized that I gave in May of 2017."

"No one is above the law," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement regarding Comey's indictment. "Today's indictment reflects this Department of Justice's commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case."

Claiming innocence, Comey said in response to the indictment, "Let's have a trial."

"JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation."

Murkowski's response, this time

Democrats such as Sens. Tim Kaine (Va.) and Adam Schiff (Calif.) weren't not the only lawmakers who previously pretended the indictment of President Donald Trump was not political but that Comey's is.

Murkowski, among the seven Republican senators who voted unsuccessfully in 2021 to convict the president on impeachment charges of "incitement of insurrection," joined in, stating on Monday that "the Department of Justice has long been insulated from presidential administrations to protect public trust in the rule of law. But that independence is called into question when overt political pressure from the White House leads to unusual personnel changes and criminal charges filed just days after the president calls for them."

"Former FBI Director James Comey, like any American, is entitled to the presumption of innocence and a fair trial. As the legal process moves forward, I expect the DOJ to act in accordance with the Constitution and federal law, and to demonstrate that this case is being handled free from political interference," continued Murkowski. "If Americans come to believe that federal prosecutions are driven by politics rather than facts and evidence, the damage will be difficult to undo."

Murkowski's response, last time

Murkowski alternatively appeared receptive in 2023 to the 37-count indictment brought against President Donald Trump in the classified documents case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, whom a judge later determined had been unlawfully appointed by Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Murkowski said of the indictment brought in June 2023 by Smith, "No one is above the law but every American is innocent until proven guilty. Still, the charges in this case are quite serious and cannot be casually dismissed."

"Mishandling classified documents is a federal crime because it can expose national secrets, as well as the sources and methods they were obtained through," continued the Alaska politician. "The unlawful retention and obstruction of justice related to classified documents are also criminal matters. Anyone found guilty — whether an analyst, a former president, or another elected or appointed official — should face the same set of consequences."

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Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Breakthrough T1D

In addition to emphasizing the gravity of the charges against Trump and suggesting they could not "be casually dismissed" — which she did not do in the case of Comey's indictment — Murkowski refrained from raising alarm about the role that the Biden White House played in the criminal probe into Trump's handling of classified documents.

For instance, a year earlier, Just the News detailed government documents showing that after Trump voluntarily returned 15 boxes of classified information and other materials to the National Archives and Records Administration in January 2022, then-White House deputy counsel Jonathan Su engaged in discussions with the Biden DOJ, the FBI, and NARA.

Su reportedly set the stage for the DOJ to get a grand jury to issue Trump a subpoena by indicating Biden would not object to waiving Trump's claims to executive privilege.

Then-acting National Archivist Debra Steidel Wall acknowledged the Biden White House's involvement in a May 10, 2022, letter to Trump's lawyers.

"The counsel to the president has informed me that, in light of the particular circumstances presented here, President Biden defers to my determination, in consultation with the assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel, regarding whether or not I should uphold the former president's purported 'protective assertion of executive privilege,'" wrote Wall. "I have therefore decided not to honor the former president's 'protective' claim of privilege."

While the probe leading to the indictment was clearly facilitated by the Biden White House, Murkowksi did not complain of "political interference."

She also did not appear overly concerned about political interference when Jack Smith brought another indictment against Trump in August 2023 — lawfare of the kind sources told the New York Times Biden had said he wanted to see executed by his DOJ.

Blaze News has reached out to Murkowski for comment.

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