House Judiciary Committee releases transcripts regarding Arctic Frost probe

The House Judiciary Committee has released six interview transcripts as part of its ongoing investigation into the Justice Department’s ‘Arctic Frost’ probe and the actions of Special Counsel Jack Smith. The released documents include testimony from five former prosecutors on Smith’s team—J. P. Cooney, Molly Gaston, Ray Hulser, Tad Duree, and Thomas Windom—as well as former Justice Department Office of Inspector General Special Agent Brian Burnett.

House Republicans are scrutinizing the investigation, alleging that investigators improperly obtained the phone records of more than a dozen GOP lawmakers and used gag orders to prevent them from being notified. The committee characterizes these investigative actions as unconstitutional.

A 56-page interim report released by Committee Chair Jim Jordan suggests that the Biden administration and Attorney General Merrick Garland were aware of the FBI’s plans to subpoena the toll records of Republican representatives, including Jim Jordan and Chip Roy. The report alleges that the Department of Justice disregarded the separation of powers and the Speech or Debate Clause protection afforded to congressional leaders. Documents indicate that the Public Integrity Section directed investigators to notify the deputy attorney general via urgent reports regarding the subpoenas.