Donald Trump claimed that Biden was behind the indictments against him. Now he has proof.
Because President Trump learned about Biden’s “Operation Arctic Frost” and it’s jaw-dropping revelations.
Whistleblower Revelations Shed Light on FBI’s Investigation into Trump’s Election Interference
Whistleblower disclosures obtained by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, have revealed troubling details about the FBI’s investigation into former President Donald Trump’s alleged involvement in election interference. The investigation, initiated in 2022, was allegedly mishandled by a previously identified anti-Trump FBI agent, who may have violated protocol in opening and advancing the case without sufficient grounds.
The FBI formally opened the investigation into Trump on April 13, 2022. Dubbed “Arctic Frost,” the inquiry was part of a broader federal effort to probe alleged election interference related to the 2020 presidential race. Fox News Digital was able to exclusively report on the revelations after Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., shared internal FBI emails and documents with the outlet.
According to Grassley and Johnson, the investigation’s origins trace back to FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault. Thibault allegedly played a central role in bringing Trump into the investigation, despite concerns about the legitimacy of the case and Thibault’s authority in doing so.
Thibault had already come under scrutiny before. In 2024, Fox News Digital reported that he had been fired from the FBI for violating the Hatch Act due to partisan political posts on social media. Whistleblowers had previously claimed that Thibault’s public political bias influenced the direction of investigations, including those involving Trump and Hunter Biden.
Emails and Documents Reveal Unlawful Actions
The series of internal emails reviewed by Fox News Digital paints a picture of Thibault’s actions in the lead-up to the investigation. On February 14, 2022, Thibault emailed a subordinate agent with the subject line: “Here is draft opening language we discussed,” attaching material that would later be part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case concerning electoral interference.
Later that month, on February 24, 2022, Thibault communicated with a prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, John Crabb. In the email, Thibault stated, “I had a discussion with the case team and we believe there to be predication to include former President of the United States Donald J. Trump as a predicated subject.”
The problem, as sources told Fox News Digital, is that Thibault was not authorized to open criminal investigations at his level. Only special agents possess the authority to initiate such inquiries, yet Thibault proceeded without the proper clearance.
In an email sent the same day, Thibault suggested seeking approval from top officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray. A subsequent email from a subordinate agent, Michelle Ball, on February 25, 2022, revealed that Trump had been officially added as a criminal subject in the case. Thibault responded with a simple, “Perfect.”
The following months saw further developments. On April 11, 2022, Thibault approved the opening of “Arctic Frost,” and two days later, an email from the FBI deputy director confirmed the investigation’s official launch. Thibault continued to communicate with DOJ officials, including Crabb, who confirmed that the investigation would proceed.
However, Grassley’s investigation suggests that a number of edits were made to the case’s opening documents in the days leading up to the formal launch. According to Grassley, between March 22 and April 13, 2022, multiple versions of the opening memo circulated, with some revealing key edits that may have been aimed at strengthening the case against Trump. On March 25, 2022, an email indicated that the FBI General Counsel’s office had made revisions, suggesting possible alterations to the investigative subject matter and focus.
FBI and DOJ Involvement
Further revelations point to the involvement of Richard Pilger, an official in the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section, in the investigation’s progression. Pilger, who had a history of handling election-related cases, played a significant role in reviewing and approving the Arctic Frost investigation, according to the email records. Pilger’s approval authorized the DOJ to launch a full criminal and grand jury investigation, which later evolved into the Trump-elector case under Special Counsel Jack Smith’s direction.
Grassley had previously raised concerns about Pilger’s involvement in 2021, alleging that Pilger and Thibault were deeply entangled in the decisions to initiate investigations related to Trump. At that time, whistleblowers informed Grassley that the case against Trump was based on information from liberal nonprofit groups, including American Oversight. Additionally, whistleblower documents suggested that parts of the investigation’s foundational material were altered, possibly to reduce the appearance of political bias.
The FBI’s Arctic Frost investigation eventually became part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s broader inquiry into Trump’s role in election-related matters, including his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022, took over the investigation and charged Trump in connection with his efforts to influence the certification of the Electoral College vote on January 6, 2021.
Smith’s oversight of the investigation was met with criticism from Grassley and Johnson, who questioned the integrity of an investigation that may have begun with improper steps. Grassley, in particular, pointed to Smith’s prior relationship with Pilger, raising concerns about possible conflicts of interest and whether the investigation was flawed from the outset.
Despite these concerns, Smith proceeded with charges against Trump in connection with both the classified documents case and the election interference case. However, as of 2024, the classified records case was dismissed, and the future of the election interference case remains uncertain.
Grassley, during a confirmation hearing in January 2025, reiterated his call for transparency and further investigation into the actions of the FBI and DOJ officials involved in the Arctic Frost case. He requested the production of all records related to the investigation to fully understand its origins and to determine whether other documents may exist that shed light on the true nature of the case.
The Federalist Wire will update our readers on any further reports from the FBI whistleblower.
