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EXCLUSIVE: In May 2022, the Biden administration turned over government-issued cellphones belonging to former President Donald Trump and ex-Vice President Mike Pence to the FBI. This action is part of an investigation into the aftermath of the 2020 election, which links Trump to the probe without sufficient justification, as Fox News Digital has revealed.
The FBI did not require a warrant to obtain these government phones from the Biden White House. However, following the acquisition, agents began the process of drafting a search warrant to extract data from the devices, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Anti-Trump Agent’s Influence on Investigation
A source involved in the investigation stated, “The Biden White House played right along with the FBI’s agenda against Trump.” This source noted that under the leadership of White House Counsel Dana Remus and Jonathan Su, the White House granted permission for the FBI to obtain Trump’s and Pence’s cellphones in early May 2022. Subsequently, the FBI started drafting a search warrant for the phones’ data.
The phones were collected as part of the initial anti-Trump inquiry regarding the 2020 election, which was eventually overseen by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. Within the FBI, this case was referred to as “Arctic Frost” and was launched on April 13, 2022, under the direction of anti-Trump former FBI agent Timothy Thibault.
Protocol Breaches in the Investigation
According to whistleblower accounts, Thibault violated protocols, playing a significant role in opening and pushing forward the original investigation that associated Trump with the probe without proper justification. Whistleblowers allege that Thibault took unauthorized steps to initiate the investigation, even though only special agents are permitted to begin criminal inquiries.
Thibault expressed his determination to prioritize this investigation, stating it should take precedence over all others in the department. Documents reviewed also indicated Thibault believed the investigation took too long to commence.
By late April 2022, the FBI began scheduling over a dozen interviews nationwide related to the case, coordinating efforts across 13 field offices, as further reported by Fox News Digital.
Whistleblower Disclosures Illuminate Investigation’s Scope
The recent disclosures came from whistleblower testimonies shared with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Senate Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Fox News Digital scrutinized these documents.
Grassley and Johnson forwarded the whistleblower information to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. They observed that the documents publicized suggest a vigorous investigation driven by anti-Trump agents and prosecutors determined to utilize all resources available against Trump and his supporters.
The first record related to the acquisition of Trump and Pence’s phones was dated April 25, 2022, revealing that the DOJ and FBI were made aware that government-issued cellphones, once belonging to Pence and Trump, were in possession of individuals at the White House. The documents indicate ongoing analysis regarding the FBI’s handling of these phones.
On May 4, 2022, FBI agents took physical possession of the two phones and submitted them as evidence. They started processing this evidence once they secured the necessary search warrants, as recorded.
On the same day, FBI agents conducted an interview with Deputy White House Counsel Jonathan Su. A follow-up letter requesting more information about the phones was subsequently sent from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C. to White House Counsel Dana Remus on May 9, 2022.
While Remus and Su have not commented publicly on these revelations, a representative for former President Biden did not immediately respond to inquiries about his awareness of this matter.
The FBI sought to interview former officials from the Trump administration, including staff from the offices of the President and Vice President, the DOJ, and former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, who currently serves as the CIA Director.
Public Accountability and Transparency Demands
Grassley and Johnson declared, “Sunshine is the best disinfectant.” They asserted that the American public deserves to understand the full extent of the corruption within the DOJ and FBI that led to the investigation into President Trump. They made the disclosures public to ensure accountability and illustrate past behaviors at these institutions that must not recur.
They emphasized, “The public has a right to know the details of the Arctic Frost investigation. Based on what has emerged thus far, the American people deserve more from their law enforcement agencies.”
Grassley and Johnson outlined their expectations for the agencies regarding transparency, stating they require all records related to the Arctic Frost investigation. This includes internal records of investigative updates and a complete financial breakdown of the resources allocated to the investigation before its transfer to Jack Smith in November 2022.
They set a deadline of March 27, 2025, for the production of these documents.
FBI spokesman Ben Williamson confirmed that the bureau has received the request from Chairman Grassley and Senator Johnson. He added, “In line with Director Patel’s directive, our team will work diligently to comply with Congressional requests.”
Thibault’s Controversial Tenure and Aftermath
Earlier reports indicated that Thibault was dismissed from the FBI in 2024 after violating the Hatch Act through his political social media posts. Whistleblowers previously alleged Thibault demonstrated a pattern of public partisanship that likely influenced investigations connected to Trump and Hunter Biden.
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith as special counsel in November 2022. Smith, a former DOJ official, took the lead on investigations regarding Trump’s retention of classified documents after leaving office and the potential obstruction of federal inquiries.
Smith also supervised the investigation into whether Trump or any officials interfered with the peaceful transition of power following the 2020 election, particularly concerning the certification of the Electoral College vote on January 6, 2021.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges in both cases. The classified documents case was dismissed in July 2024 by a U.S. District Court judge who ruled that Smith’s appointment as special counsel was unlawful.
In the case concerning the 2020 election, Smith charged Trump in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. However, after Trump was elected president, Smith moved to dismiss the charges, leading Judge Tanya Chutkan to grant the request.
