It turns out that both former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray and former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland signed off on the Arctic Frost investigation. 

This was recently revealed, according to Just the News, by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Grassley, on social media, released documentation to support the claim.

Just received this doc frm DOJ Proof that Biden Atty General Merrick Garland+ Deputy Atty General Lisa Monaco+ FBI Dir Chris Wray all PERSONALLY APPROVED opening Arctic Frost

This investigation unleashed unchecked govt power at the highest levels My oversight will continue pic.twitter.com/atuRnC8ara

— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) October 23, 2025

"Personally approved"

What Grassley specifically released is a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum from April 2022.

Fox News reports:

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Thursday released an April 2022 Justice Department memo showing then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, then-Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and then-FBI Director Christopher Wray personally approved an FBI investigation into alleged efforts by Trump campaign associates to obstruct Congress’ certification of the 2020 election.

The memo is four pages long and can be read in its entirety here.

Grassley, in his own statement, wrote:

Just received this doc [from the] DOJ. Proof that Biden Atty General Merrick Garland, Deputy Atty General Lisa Monaco, [and] FBI Dir Chris Wray all PERSONALLY APPROVED opening Arctic Frost. This investigation unleashed unchecked govt power at the highest levels.

"My oversight will continue," Grassley concluded.

Background

According to Fox, "The memo appears to document an early stage of the Justice Department’s examination of the so-called 'fake electors' effort that became a focus of Smith’s probe."

The outlet continues:

In 2023, [special counsel Jack] Smith subpoenaed phone records belonging to eight Republican senators and one House member, covering a four-day period — Jan. 4 to Jan. 7, 2021 — to examine call activity around the Capitol riot. The subpoenas did not seek call content but instead listed numbers, dates, and durations. The targeted senators included Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

This move has received widespread condemnation, with many calling for an investigation of the situation and for consequences for Smith, such as disbarment. Some are claiming that this situation is worse than the Watergate scandal.

Smith has defended himself, claiming, according to Fox, that "the records were narrowly tailored and entirely proper.'"

It remains to be seen how all of this is going to play out.