The FBI’s investigation code-named Arctic Frost, initially launched to examine the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, included conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, according to new evidence revealed by Senator Chuck Grassley.
Grassley (R-IA) released documents suggesting that the probe, which began with challenges to the 2020 election, expanded to include around 92 Republican targets, such as the RNC, the Republican Attorneys General Association, and Kirk’s nonprofit. “Arctic Frost wasn’t just a case to investigate former President Trump,” Grassley said. “It became a way for partisan FBI agents and DOJ prosecutors to examine the Republican political apparatus.”
Background of the Arctic Frost Investigation
Arctic Frost originated as part of the federal response to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, when supporters of Donald Trump attempted to stop the certification of the 2020 election. In 2022, then-Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed special counsel Jack Smith to investigate Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the election results, including his connection to the Capitol riot.
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Internal FBI documents released by Grassley indicate that the investigation included subpoenas targeting financial transactions, particularly to determine whether organizations like Turning Point USA and others financially supported the Jan. 6 rally.
Turning Point USA’s Role
According to the documents, one subpoena focused on Event Strategies, a live events company that organized the rally preceding the Capitol breach. Turning Point USA, along with Trump’s Save America PAC, Women for America First, and the Republican Attorneys General Association, was listed as a target in connection with financial activity.
Public reports suggest that Turning Point Action, the advocacy arm of Turning Point USA, provided transportation for supporters to attend the rally. This financial link appears to have prompted the FBI’s inquiry under Arctic Frost.
Grassley’s statement frames the investigation as politically charged, while the FBI maintains that the probe was part of a broader effort to investigate Jan. 6-related activity.
