Grassley Calls out Democrats’ Double Standard on Congressional Oversight

Grassley Calls out Democrats' Double Standard on Congressional Oversight

Letter from the Chairman dispels Democrat myths and reiterates Republicans' commitment to 'bipartisan, good faith efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse.'

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today issued a response to Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and fellow Judiciary Committee Democrats' inquiries regarding oversight of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Special Counsel Jack Smith's Arctic Frost investigation.

"Many of my Democratic colleagues failed to speak up when for four years the Biden administration obstructed my oversight and retaliated against my whistleblowers," Grassley wrote. "Indeed, when I was last Ranking Member of this Committee, for two years I raised concerns about the Biden DOJ and FBI thumbing their nose at my oversight requests. Other than a single short phone call scheduled by you with Attorney General Garland, which proved useless, nothing was done. Here, just this year, I, and my staff, have personally intervened in several Democratic oversight requests, doing more than what was ever done for my office."

Grassley provided a detailed history of Democrats' repeated unwillingness to join in Republican oversight efforts when Democrats were in the majority, including oversight of then-Special Counsel Jack Smith, which Grassley began investigating in 2022. Regarding the Committee's ongoing oversight of Arctic Frost, Grassley wrote:

"As my Republican colleagues and I made clear before the American people on October 29, 2025, bipartisan hearings will come in time. But we also made clear that we will not hold a hearing until we are in possession of all relevant documents from the FBI and DOJ. I have also written to Jack Smith stating my willingness to host a hearing when we receive and review all relevant records. In that letter, I asked Jack Smith questions which he has thus far failed to answer."

Grassley additionally noted Democrats' failure to assist his longtime efforts to declassify and release the Clinton Annex and the Durham Annex, Democrats' efforts to smear Grassley and Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-Wis.) Biden family investigation as "Russian disinformation" and Democrats' failure to support whistleblowers during the Biden administration.

"The Biden DOJ literally ignored hundreds of my oversight requests. Instead, I relied on whistleblowers to advance my investigative work. Whistleblowers who were retaliated against by the Biden administration, and my Democratic colleagues didn't lift a finger to help… [W]histleblowers have said that the Biden DOJ and FBI retaliated against employees for making legally protected whistleblower disclosures or because their political beliefs didn't align with the Biden administration. Some of [the personnel terminated by the Trump administration] retaliated against my whistleblowers and ruined their lives."

"Your side had your chance to run your investigations and do your oversight for the past two Congresses. After my multi-year oversight requests, that never received any assistance from your side, are fulfilled, I will attempt to assist in nonpolitical, legitimate oversight requests from my Democratic colleagues. I remain fully committed to bipartisan, good faith efforts to root out waste, fraud, and abuse within government and doing bipartisan oversight as evidenced by our joint work this year. I hope you and your colleagues will join me in my ongoing efforts," Grassley concluded.

Read Grassley's full letter HERE.

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