Biden WH turned over Trump and Mike Pence's government cell phones to FBI as part of 'Arctic Frost' probe

WASHINGTON, DC: The White House under former President Joe Biden turned over government cell phones belonging to President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence to the FBI in May 2022 as part of the federal probe into the aftermath of the 2020 general election.

The FBI did not require a warrant to obtain the devices but had to draft one before they started extracting the phones' data, according to Fox News. The information has come to light after a whistleblower revealed it to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senate Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI).

What is the 'Arctic Frost' probe?

The original federal investigation into Donald Trump's alleged attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election was known inside the FBI as "Arctic Frost." It was opened by former FBI agent Timothy Thibault on April 13, 2022, who broke protocol in doing so, as per the whistleblower.

Criminal investigations can be opened only by special agents. Thibault's action reportedly broke the norm and tied Trump to the probe without sufficient postulation. The investigation was later taken over by special counsel Jack Smith. In 2024, Thibault was fired from the bureau for violating the Hatch Act by showing a "pattern of active public partisanship."

A source familiar with the investigation told Fox News, "The Biden White House played right along with the FBI’s ‘gotcha’ scheme against Trump. Biden’s Office of White House Counsel, under the leadership of Dana Remus and Jonathan Su, gave its blessing and accommodation for the FBI to physically obtain Trump and Pence’s phones in early May 2022. Weeks later, the FBI began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data."

Documents revised by the publication suggest Thibault was determined to have the investigation "prioritized over all others in the Branch." By late April 2022, the FBI had begun scheduling more than a dozen interviews connected to the case in coordination with 13 FBI field offices across the nation.

Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson want to make FBI records on the investigation public

The whistleblower disclosures and records were sent by Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel late on March 13.

"The new records we are making public point to an aggressive investigation run by anti-Trump agents and prosecutors intent on using every resource available to pursue Trump and his supporters," they wrote in an accompanying message.

Grassley and Johnson added, "Sunshine is the best disinfectant. The American people deserve to know the complete extent of the corruption within the DOJ and FBI that led to the investigation into President Trump."

They mentioned that the documents were further being disclosed "for purposes of public accountability and to provide specific examples of past behavior at your institutions that must not be repeated."

"Quite simply, the public has a right to know what happened in 'Arctic Frost,' and, based on what we’ve exposed to date, the American people deserve better from its law enforcement agencies," they continued. "It is important that every individual at your agencies maintains the highest level of professionalism and does not allow political bias to motivate or guide their investigative work."

The Senators gave Bondi and Patel a deadline of March 27, 2025, to turn over all records related to the "Arctic Frost" investigation, including "all internal records of investigative updates."

FBI spokesman Ben Williamson has confirmed receiving the Senators' request, stating, "As always per Director Patel’s directive, our team will work aggressively to comply with congressional requests."

Internet finds the 'Arctic Frost' probe's whistleblower's revelation unsurprising

Netizens reacting to the report on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) claimed to be unsurprised by Joe Biden's White House handing over the government cell phones of Donald Trump and Mark Pence to the FBI. 

One wrote, "Of course they did," and another said, "Not surprising. They truly tried to do anything to 'get him.'"

"They are such crooks! Pathetic!" a person remarked, while someone else added, "That's what installed puppets do."

"It was a full-on conspiracy to try to torpedo Trump," an individual claimed. 

However, one more pointed out, "So? They're government-issued, not private, cellphones. There's no privacy interest."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.