On Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the dissolution of the unit responsible for monitoring phone calls of U.S. senators during the Biden administration.
Patel stated, “They surveilled the communications of GOP Senators. They used law enforcement as a weapon against the American populace. That chapter is closed,” in a post on X.
The FBI chief continued, “We terminated those who behaved unethically, disbanded the corrupt CR-15 squad, and initiated an investigation. Transparency and accountability are not mere slogans; they are commitments fulfilled.”
The CR-15 unit was one of three federal corruption squads managed by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, as reported by NBC News, and played a significant role in the bureau’s “Arctic Frost” investigation regarding alleged interference in the 2020 elections.
The Arctic Frost probe began in April 2022 and was subsequently overseen by former special counsel Jack Smith.
This probe focused on actions taken by President Trump and his allies to dispute the 2020 election results, including the submission of an alternative slate of electors.
Available documents indicate that CR-15 agents were involved in the 2022 investigation and arrest of White House aide Peter Navarro, and had also acquired two phones belonging to Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence from officials in the Biden administration during the same period.
According to NBC News, the CR-15 squad was reportedly disbanded by the Washington Field Office back in May, and its agents were reassigned as part of a wider reorganization effort.
Patel’s announcement follows a revelation by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who made public a September 2023 FBI document indicating the bureau had executed “preliminary toll analysis on limited toll records” of eight incumbent senators.
While the exact motives behind the surveillance of these lawmakers remain unclear, the senators identified include Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), in addition to Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.)
The minimally redacted document bears a case ID labeled, “ARCTIC FROST — Election Law Matters — SENSITIVE INVESTIGATIVE MATTER — CAST,” where “CAST” denotes the FBI’s cellular analysis team.
It is suggested that the FBI was tracking details of calls made by the lawmakers, rather than tapping their phones directly.
Grassley remarked on Monday, “If accountability is not enforced in this town, nothing will change,” committing to persist in his investigation into the FBI’s actions during the Biden era.
