Former special counsel Jack Smith's team obtained draft fundraising emails and donor information for hundreds of thousands of President Trump's supporters following the 2020 election, according to documents reviewed by The Post.
The materials included draft appeals from the Trump Make America Great Again Committee (TMAGAC) and solicitations featuring figures like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who had asked his supporters to contribute as "2020 Election Day Donors." Smith's team acquired these documents as part of the FBI's "Arctic Frost" investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, which culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Senator Cruz criticized the probe, stating that Smith's team collected personal information from up to 336 Texans who were "exercising their constitutional right to participate in the political process." He described "Arctic Frost" as an "egregious abuse of power" and expressed concern about a lack of accountability for the actions taken during the investigation.
Federal investigators had previously attempted to seize call logs and metadata from Cruz's cell phone from AT&T, a request that was denied. Another carrier, Verizon, reportedly provided records for other lawmakers, and a subpoena for phone "toll analysis" was sealed by a federal judge under a non-disclosure order. Cruz characterized Smith's investigative tactics in "Arctic Frost" as "Joe Biden’s Watergate."
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, received the newly disclosed records through whistleblower disclosures. He defended Trump's efforts to strengthen the economy and uphold "America First principles," asserting that Trump continues to fight for these ideals despite Smith's attempts to prosecute him.
According to subpoena returns released by the Senate Judiciary Committee's GOP leadership, up to 639,000 Republican donors, voters, and supporters had their information acquired by Smith's office. This data included individuals who made small contributions to Trump's re-election campaign or purchased merchandise like red "Make America Great Again" hats that directed proceeds to the campaign.
Grassley has previously referred to Smith's investigation as a "fishing expedition" that extended beyond Trump and his allies to encompass the broader Republican Party apparatus.