House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan just found himself in the crosshairs of a Department of Justice subpoena that feels more like a fishing expedition than a targeted probe, Fox News reported.
Back in 2022, the DOJ went after Jordan’s personal phone records as part of the Arctic Frost investigation, a sprawling effort that eventually fueled election-related charges against former President Donald Trump.
Starting from Jan. 1, 2020, this subpoena spanned over two years, scooping up toll records—details of when calls and messages were sent, received, and with whom—though not the content itself. It’s worth noting that Jordan, a staunch Trump ally, was the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee at the time, a body tasked with overseeing the very agency now digging into his communications. Talk about irony.
This wasn’t just any subpoena; it’s been called one of the most sweeping publicly known requests of its kind aimed at members of Congress during the Arctic Frost probe. A federal prosecutor, later tied to special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 investigation, ordered Verizon to hand over Jordan’s data. One has to wonder if this was an oversight or overreach.
Interestingly, Jack Smith didn’t even start as special counsel until seven months after this subpoena was issued, meaning the request came well before his watch. Still, the timing raises eyebrows—why such a broad net so early in the game? It’s one of the first known subpoenas in this investigation, setting a concerning precedent.
The subpoena didn’t stop at Jordan; it also sought records for three other undisclosed phone numbers and came with a one-year gag order signed by a D.C. magistrate judge. If that doesn’t smell like an attempt to keep things hush-hush, what does?
Jordan wasn’t the only lawmaker caught in this dragnet; former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s records were targeted in 2023, and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley revealed that at least 10 Republican senators, including Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz, had their data sought as well. It’s starting to look like a pattern of going after conservative voices. Is this justice, or a political hit job?
Republicans, predictably, have pushed back hard, arguing that these Arctic Frost subpoenas trample on the separation of powers, particularly citing protections under the speech or debate clause. They’ve got a point—when the executive branch starts snooping on the legislative, it’s a slippery slope to tyranny.
Verizon, for its part, complied with the DOJ’s demands, producing documents related to Jordan, as confirmed by a source to Fox News Digital. The company has also been working with both House and Senate Judiciary Committees to sort out the mess. One can’t help but ask if Big Tech is too quick to roll over for government requests.
Speaking of Verizon, their spokesman, Rich Young tried to smooth things over with a statement: “As part of our investigation, we uncovered new information regarding Chairman Jordan and shared it with him as soon as possible.” He added, “We are committed to restoring trust through transparency and will continue to work with Congress and the administration as they examine these issues and consider reforms to expand notification protections.” Transparency is a nice word, but actions speak louder—why not push back harder against such invasive subpoenas?
Then there’s Jack Smith, who has defended his broader investigation into the Jan. 6 events and the 2020 election, claiming his subpoenas were “entirely proper” and narrowly tailored. Proper to whom, exactly? When you’re casting a net this wide, it’s hard to call it narrow.
The scope of this probe is staggering, with toll records—again, not content, but still deeply personal metadata—being pulled for multiple lawmakers.
It’s a reminder that even in a digital age, privacy isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a right that seems increasingly under threat from an overzealous bureaucracy.
