GOP Senators Blast Judge for Role in FBI’s ‘Arctic Frost’ Fishing Expedition
Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) are demanding the impeachment of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, accusing the Obama-appointed jurist of helping the Biden administration’s FBI conduct what they describe as a politically motivated “fishing expedition” targeting Republican lawmakers.
During a Wednesday press conference on Capitol Hill, Cruz declared that Boasberg had “put his robes down, stood up, and said, ‘Sign me up to be part of the partisan vendetta against 20 percent of the Republicans in the Senate.’”
“This order is an abuse of power,” Cruz said flatly.
Sen. Schmitt, a former Missouri attorney general, echoed that charge. “What Judge Boasberg did to Senator Cruz and maybe other senators absolutely — and I don’t say this lightly — absolutely is worthy of impeachment proceedings. There has to be accountability.”
The “Arctic Frost” Operation
The controversy centers on the FBI’s secretive Arctic Frost operation, a wide-ranging investigation that reportedly swept up the private phone data of at least nine Republican members of Congress. Documents released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) earlier this month show that the FBI obtained subpoenas for GOP lawmakers’ phone and email records as part of an inquiry that later fed into Special Counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump — an appointment now ruled unconstitutional by a federal court.
Grassley’s office followed up this week with new evidence indicating that more than 400 Republican individuals and organizations had their data subpoenaed. The senator characterized the operation as “a fishing expedition dressed up as national security.”
Cruz’s own Senate and personal cell numbers were reportedly targeted, with AT&T ordered not to inform him that the government was collecting his data. The court order, signed by Boasberg, blocked disclosure for at least one year.
According to the document, the nondisclosure was justified because informing the target could result in “destruction of evidence, intimidation of witnesses, or jeopardy to the investigation.”
“I can tell you there is precisely zero evidence to conclude that I am likely to destroy or tamper with evidence or intimidate anyone,” Cruz said. “Zero. This order is a weaponization of the legal system.”
Separation of Powers and Constitutional Concerns
Cruz framed the issue as more than personal — a constitutional crisis. He argued that secretly subpoenaing the communications of sitting senators violates the Speech and Debate Clause, which protects legislators from executive interference in their official duties.
“The FBI had no lawful basis to surveil elected members of Congress,” Cruz said. “This was carried out in complete contravention of the Constitution, of separation of powers, of free speech, and of basic rights to privacy and property.”
He added that the order’s factual findings were unsupported by any evidence and suggested that Boasberg had signed “dozens of identical orders like placemats at Denny’s.”
“If any private litigant made claims without evidence, they’d be sanctioned,” Cruz said. “When a judge does it, he calls it justice.”
A History of Controversy
Boasberg, who sits on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and has served as chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), has long been a lightning rod for conservative criticism. Cruz described him as “a radical leftist judge who is out of control, issuing nationwide injunctions one after another to block President Trump from carrying out his mandate from the voters.”
Recent rulings have fueled that reputation. Among them:
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Ordered the release of a woman accused of repeatedly threatening President Trump’s life.
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Temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s deportation of suspected Tren de Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act.
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Attempted to hold Trump officials in contempt for deporting illegal aliens to El Salvador despite court restrictions.
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Spared former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith from jail after he falsified evidence used to surveil Trump campaign associate Carter Page.
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Ruled that able-bodied adults have a right to Medicaid without work requirements.
These decisions, Cruz argued, fit a pattern of ideological activism. “Boasberg is the embodiment of the D.C. Swamp judiciary — unelected, unaccountable, and eager to protect the regime’s friends while punishing its enemies.”
Calls for Impeachment Grow
The push for accountability is gaining momentum. In March, Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) introduced articles of impeachment accusing Boasberg of “attempting to seize power from the executive branch,” “jeopardizing national security,” and “placing political goals above judicial impartiality.”
The same month, President Trump called for Boasberg’s removal after the judge blocked deportations of suspected Tren de Aragua terrorists, calling him a “radical Left lunatic of a judge.”
More recently, Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a judicial misconduct complaint against Boasberg for allegedly making “improper public comments” about Trump and his administration — remarks Bondi said compromised the judge’s appearance of neutrality.
Cruz and Schmitt’s latest statements now add congressional weight to that effort, urging the House to begin formal impeachment proceedings.
The Broader Pattern of Weaponization
Republicans argue that Arctic Frost is part of a disturbing broader pattern: the politicization of federal law enforcement against conservatives. From parents at school-board meetings labeled as extremists, to pro-life activists raided by armed agents, the Boasberg episode has become another example cited by lawmakers demanding reform or defunding of the FBI’s political divisions.
“This is the same Justice Department that slow-walks investigations of Hunter Biden while secretly spying on Republican senators,” Cruz said. “The double standard couldn’t be clearer.”
Schmitt agreed, warning that unchecked judicial activism threatens the balance of powers. “If we allow judges and bureaucrats to treat political opponents as criminals, then the republic itself is in danger,” he said.
What Comes Next
Whether impeachment proceedings advance remains to be seen, but momentum among Senate and House Republicans is growing. Cruz and Schmitt both signaled that they will testify or submit evidence to House committees if necessary.
As for Judge Boasberg, his office declined to comment on the allegations. The Department of Justice likewise remained silent.
Still, the controversy surrounding Arctic Frost underscores what many conservatives view as a crisis of trust in the judiciary — a sense that justice has been replaced by partisanship and that the surveillance powers once meant to protect Americans are now being turned inward against them.
As Cruz summed it up, “This is not just about me, or Senator Schmitt, or President Trump. It’s about whether the rule of law still means anything in this country.”
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