Patel Announces Firings At The FBI
The revelations emerging from the now-infamous “Arctic Frost” investigation have detonated across Washington like a constitutional depth charge. According to documents made public Monday, former Special Counsel Jack Smith — operating during the Biden administration — authorized what now appears to be surveillance of at least nine sitting GOP senators and one Republican congressman as part of a sprawling probe into the events of January 6 and the aftermath of the 2020 election. If true, this marks one of the most troubling intrusions into legislative privacy in modern American history.
The lawmakers allegedly targeted include Sens. Lindsey Graham, Marsha Blackburn, Ron Johnson, Josh Hawley, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, and Rep. Mike Kelly. The details suggest that the FBI, under Smith’s direction, monitored private phone calls and communications — a move that goes far beyond investigatory overreach and squarely into the realm of surveillance abuse.
Transparency is important and accountability is critical. We promised both, and this is what promises kept looks like. This FBI is delivering.
As a result of our latest disclosure about the baseless monitoring of members of Congress by the prior leadership team of the FBI, we…— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) October 7, 2025
FBI Director Kash Patel, now overseeing the bureau under the new administration, responded with swift and public consequences. In a statement released to Fox News Digital, Patel described the actions of Smith’s team as “baseless monitoring” and vowed immediate accountability. Already, several FBI employees have been terminated and the CR-15 squad — the unit allegedly responsible for the surveillance — has been dismantled.
“We are cleaning up a diseased temple three decades in the making,” Patel said. “Identifying the rot, removing those who weaponized law enforcement for political purposes… I promised reform, and I intend to deliver it.” The statement wasn’t just performative. It was backed by the immediate purging of personnel and structural reforms that signaled a decisive departure from the previous administration’s justice apparatus.
Deputy Director Dan Bongino reinforced the tone, stating on social media, “You deserve better,” and promising that the bureau would continue to operate under principles of transparency and accountability.
Senator Josh Hawley, reportedly one of those spied upon, wasn’t silent either. Patel responded to his public outrage with three sharp words: “We’re ON IT.”
This @FBI discovered and exposed the weaponization of law enforcement.
We are ON IT https://t.co/Py9q56iVnF— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) October 7, 2025
The scale and implication of this surveillance scandal are staggering. That members of the U.S. Senate — one of the three co-equal branches of government — were potentially monitored by their own Justice Department not only violates foundational norms but also reopens serious debates about political weaponization of the intelligence community. The comparisons to Watergate are no longer abstract or hyperbolic. In fact, the magnitude of this scandal — if fully substantiated — could far eclipse it.
What’s different now is the posture. Unlike past years when these abuses might have been met with closed-door admonishments or yet another committee hearing, the new leadership is delivering direct action. For years, critics have demanded an end to the practice of treating political adversaries like national security threats. Now, it appears those critics are not just being heard — they’re holding the levers of power.