The Biden administration quietly transferred government-issued cellphones belonging to former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence to the FBI in May 2022 as part of an investigation into the aftermath of the 2020 election. The move linked Trump to the probe without sufficient justification, according to reports from Fox News Digital, which first broke the story.
FBI Seized Trump and Pence’s Phones Without a Warrant
According to sources familiar with the investigation, the FBI did not initially obtain a warrant to seize the phones from the Biden White House. However, once the devices were in the FBI’s possession, agents quickly began drafting a search warrant to access their data.
“The Biden White House played right along with the FBI’s ‘gotcha’ scheme against Trump,” a source familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital. “Biden’s Office of White House Counsel, under the leadership of Dana Remus and Jonathan Su, gave its blessing and accommodation for the FBI to physically obtain Trump and Pence’s phones in early May 2022. Weeks later, the FBI began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data.”
The decision to hand over the phones raises concerns about political motivations behind the investigation, as the phones were seized without a direct legal mandate at the time.
FBI Launched “Arctic Frost” Investigation Targeting Trump
The phones were entered into evidence as part of the FBI’s broader investigation into the 2020 election—an inquiry that was later taken over by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Internally, the case was known as “Arctic Frost” and was officially opened on April 13, 2022, by former FBI agent Timothy Thibault, a known anti-Trump figure.
According to whistleblower reports, Thibault allegedly violated FBI protocols by initiating and advancing the investigation against Trump without proper authorization. Fox News reported that Thibault “overstepped his authority by involving Trump in the case—an action that should have been reserved for special agents authorized to open criminal investigations.”
Whistleblower disclosures reviewed by Fox News also revealed that Thibault had vowed to make the probe a “top priority” within his department, even commenting that “it frankly took too long for us to open this (investigation).”
By late April 2022, the FBI had begun scheduling over a dozen interviews as part of the probe, coordinating with 13 field offices nationwide.
Whistleblowers Reveal FBI’s Aggressive Push Against Trump
Legally protected whistleblower disclosures submitted to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) have shed new light on the aggressive tactics used in the investigation. Grassley and Johnson turned over these disclosures to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday, highlighting how politically motivated officials allegedly sought to use every available resource to target Trump and his allies.
In a statement, Grassley and Johnson wrote:
“The new records we are making public point to an aggressive investigation run by anti-Trump agents and prosecutors intent on using every resource available to pursue Trump and his supporters.”
Internal Records Confirm FBI’s Seizure of Trump and Pence’s Phones
The first official documentation linking the Trump and Pence phones to the investigation appeared in a record dated April 25, 2022. The record stated:
“DOJ and FBI were informed that government-issued cellphones that purportedly previously belonged to former Vice President Mike Pence and former President Donald J. Trump were in the possession of individuals at the White House. DOJ is currently conducting analysis regarding the FBI taking possession of and processing the phones.”
On May 4, 2022, FBI agents seized the two devices, entered them into evidence, and placed them on hold until they could obtain search warrants. That same day, agents also interviewed Deputy White House Counsel Jonathan Su.
A follow-up letter requesting further details about the phones was sent on May 9, 2022, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., to White House Counsel Dana Remus. However, it remains unclear whether President Joe Biden was personally aware of or involved in the decision to turn over the devices.
Political Fallout and Ongoing Investigations
The revelation that the Biden White House cooperated with the FBI to hand over Trump and Pence’s phones without a warrant is likely to fuel accusations of political bias in federal law enforcement. With the 2024 election cycle underway, Republican lawmakers and Trump allies are expected to push for further investigations into what they describe as a politically motivated weaponization of the FBI and Justice Department.
As new details continue to emerge, the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee may take steps to investigate the handling of the Trump and Pence phones, further intensifying the scrutiny on the Biden administration’s role in the matter.