The Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), will prioritize oversight of the Arctic Frost investigation in 2026. The committee plans a series of hearings to examine the constitutional and legal aspects of the election-related case against former President Donald Trump. The case, which began at the Federal Bureau of Investigation during President Biden’s administration and was expanded by Special Counsel Jack Smith, has reportedly targeted hundreds of Republicans, including sitting members of Congress.
Grassley is working with Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. This year, they released thousands of pages documenting what they describe as the political origins of Arctic Frost.
“Thanks to whistleblowers who sounded the alarm to me about Arctic Frost’s existence, this shocking political scandal is seeing the light of day,” Grassley said. “Arctic Frost was a runaway train that swept up information from hundreds of innocent people simply because of their political affiliation. Congress and the American people want answers, and sunshine is the best disinfectant. The Senate Judiciary Committee is leading this investigation to find out exactly what went wrong, so that bad actors can be held accountable and this sort of political witch hunt never happens again. Transparency brings accountability.”
The upcoming hearings will focus on several areas: how telecommunication agencies responded to subpoenas for congressional phone records; civil rights concerns related to those subpoenas; judicial compliance in approving nondisclosure orders; and how government resources were allocated for what some have called a politically motivated case.
Four subcommittees are expected to hold these hearings: Privacy, Technology and the Law (chaired by Sen. Marsha Blackburn); Constitution (chaired by Sen. Eric Schmitt); Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action and Federal Rights (chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz); and Crime and Counterterrorism (chaired by Sen. Josh Hawley).
In recent months, Grassley has released multiple statements and documents regarding Arctic Frost’s development, including details about subpoenas issued by Jack Smith targeting over 400 Republicans and revelations that senior officials approved opening the investigation.
Additional background includes claims that telecommunications companies provided records to investigators under pressure from federal entities, as well as allegations that eight Republican senators were surveilled as part of Arctic Frost.
The committee’s actions follow a series of document releases throughout 2025 detailing investigative steps taken against Trump allies and other Republicans during what Grassley calls an anti-Trump probe.
