FBI prioritized investigation into Trump post-2020 election

New disclosures from whistleblowers have revealed that the FBI and the Justice Department took extensive measures to investigate former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election. The investigation was prioritized starting in April 2022 and included searching Trump’s government-issued cellphone. The FBI reportedly spent $16,000 on witness interviews shortly after this search. Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson confirmed that the investigation, called Operation Arctic Frost, intensified after Biden administration officials handed over Trump’s cellphone and former Vice President Mike Pence’s phone. The FBI used this information to launch a probe that was later criticized by a federal judge for being unconstitutional. In the weeks following the start of the investigation, the FBI took significant actions. They interviewed numerous witnesses across 13 field offices and analyzed communications between Trump’s team and Republican electors. Discussions about securing search warrants for the cellphones also took place. Both senators have pointed fingers at former FBI agent Timothy Thibault, who has been accused of misconduct. In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, they called for an investigation into the actions of the DOJ and FBI regarding Trump. They stressed that the public deserves transparency about the investigation's origins. The drive to prosecute Trump has been linked to President Biden's long-standing desire to see him jailed before the 2024 election. However, these efforts fell apart when Trump won back the presidency in November 2024, officially taking office on January 10, 2025.