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Now that House Republicans have bothered to show up to work again, you’ll start hearing a lot about “Arctic Frost,” especially if you watch Fox News, which has a lot of airtime to fill during which real news outlets are covering rising prices or the most recent revelations regarding the Epstein files. And when it comes to this latest manufactured GOP scandal, there is only one thing you have to know.

But before we get to what that is, a little bit of background is needed.

If you are unfamiliar with Arctic Frost, that was the codename for the FBI probe into the “fake electors scheme” that Donald Trump and others hatched to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election.

It formed the basis for special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation that ultimately resulted in Trump getting charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and three other offenses. You can read the indictment here, and we really urge you to do so.

Unfortunately for justice, Trump managed to run out the clock before going to trial.

However, Arctic Frost was back in the news recently when Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) unveiled a document showing that, as part of its investigation, the FBI subpoenaed and obtained cell phone “tolling data” from eight GOP senators.

The announcement caused quite a stir in the MAGAverse, which is understandable.  

After all, it has all of the hallmarks of one of the “scandals” that Republicans like to conjure up and then talk about endlessly on Fox News: It can be made to sound bad, it feeds into the narrative that the Department of Justice was weaponized against Trump, and conservatives can play victim.

So, let’s take a look.

First of all, even though Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) claimed that his phone was “tapped,” the FBI didn’t listen in on any conversations. Instead, the Bureau used what one expert called a “standard investigative tool” to find out which numbers were called from certain phones, when those calls were placed, and how long they took. For example, if you are investigating a bank heist, it certainly would be useful to know to whom the robbers were talking while they were in the vault.

Which brings us to the very specific time period for which the FBI collected that data: January 4 to January 7, 2021. You don’t have to be a history buff to know that a certain violent attack on the US Capitol, which was meant to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory, occurred during that time.

And that, finally, brings us to the only thing you have to know about Arctic Frost: THE FBI WAS INVESTIGATING TRUMP’S COUP!!!

Having a sitting president try to overturn the results of an election is such an unfathomable event in US history that the FBI should have stopped at nothing to figure out how it happened and who all was involved.

And one good place to start might be to find out to whom Trump (or the other ringleaders of the coup) were talking immediately before, on, and after the January 6 attack. And that list seems to include a few senators.

Part of the ire of these lawmakers and their colleagues is directed at James Boasberg, the chief judge of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, who signed a nondisclosure order that prevented the phone companies from informing the targets of the probe that their data had been subpoenaed.

In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, four GOP senators argued that this order violates the Stored Communications Act, which allows the government to prevent individuals from being notified of a subpoena if there is “reason to believe” that they could jeopardize the investigation, e.g., by fleeing from prosecution, intimidating witnesses, or destroying or tampering with evidence.

Geez, we wonder why Boasberg might have been concerned that these Republicans would undermine the investigation.

Could it be their total lack of interest in getting to the bottom of Trump’s coup? Or perhaps their indifference to any criminal activity he has been convicted of, accused of, or admitted to? Or their cult-like devotion to a morally and otherwise corrupt president?

To us, it makes total sense to keep toadies like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) or Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) from knowing that the government is looking into whom they talked to while Trump was plotting to overturn the results of an election on the eve of its certification, and also while and after a Trump-incited mob stormed Congress.

We think it is entirely reasonable to assume that they would tip off Trump or anybody else involved.

Let’s get these lawmakers to testify in public and under oath about what they knew and what they did to help the president nearly overturn the results of a national election.

Of course, Republicans have zero interest in that.

Instead, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) now wants these senators to be showered with cash. That’s why he added a provision to the continuing resolution that was signed into law on Wednesday that would allow the senators in question to reap a taxpayer-funded windfall of $500,000 each for having their tolling data collected.

It’s outrageous!

As for Grassley, a tireless crusader against FBI abuses, he pledged that “no matter how long it takes, I’ll continue to follow the facts to shut down political misconduct that weaponizes government against law-abiding citizens.”

Well, senator, if you’re interested in the weaponization of the government, we have great news for you: The Trump administration does this every single day.

But when opponents of the president are targeted, these champions of justice and transparency are turning a blind eye.

We are as concerned about government overreach as anybody. However, in the case of Trump’s lawlessness, and especially his coup attempt, we wish that the DOJ had been much more aggressive from the start to ensure that this kind of thing won’t happen again.

By failing to do so, the Biden administration paved the road to Trump’s political comeback, and therefore the country’s descent toward authoritarianism.

What this illustrates above all is that the next time a law-abiding president occupies the White House, and we have no idea when that might be, it is of paramount importance to hold anybody involved in unconstitutional and illegal activity to account to the fullest extent of the law.

People have to go to prison for the crimes that are being committed by this administration on a daily basis.

And the bums in Congress who turned a blind eye to them have to be voted out… not showered with cash at the taxpayer’s expense.