Grassley Opens Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting, Provides Arctic Frost Update

Prepared Opening Statement by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
Executive Business Meeting
Thursday, November 6, 2025

On today's agenda, we have nine nominations listed.

We'll vote on Thomas Ferguson to be a U.S. Attorney. We'll hold over the remaining nominations listed on our agenda for later consideration.

Additionally, we'll be voting on S. 1884, the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025, or the HEAR Act.

Before turning to the agenda, I'd like to give an update on my Arctic Frost investigation.

Last week, Senator Johnson and I made public 197 Jack Smith subpoenas consisting of almost 2,000 pages of records. These records show the Biden DOJ and FBI expanded Arctic Frost to target over 430 Republican groups and individuals.

This includes Republican Members of Congress and some of our colleagues on this very Committee.

To date, we've learned Jack Smith subpoenaed the phone records of at least 13 Members of Congress, including 11 Senators. I expect there'll be more.

Judge Boasberg issued non-disclosure orders that hid these subpoenas and are subject to my investigation. I'll have more to share at a later date.

Starting in January, Senator Johnson and I've made public thousands of pages of records. Most of the records are from whistleblowers.

What we've shown is that Arctic Frost was a runaway train.

I've heard some say we haven't done anything regarding Arctic Frost. That's pretty unbelievable since no one would even know what went on without our oversight. And our oversight has led to accountability.

The FBI unit that started Arctic Frost has been dismantled. Many agents who were part of the investigation have been fired. And deservedly so.

Accountability measures are still ongoing.

Our oversight continues, and I'll have more to share with my colleagues as I obtain more records.

But it's important that the DOJ produce records at the rate and volume of my whistleblowers, without unnecessary redactions.

Turning to our agenda: we're voting on Thomas Ferguson to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

He's a highly qualified nominee, who has earned numerous awards during his career.

He worked as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in D.C. where he prosecuted an array of drug crimes. He's also spent more than a dozen years in private practice, litigating white collar defense and civil disputes.

I'm confident that Mr. Ferguson will do a great job in his new role.

Turning to the HEAR Act of 2025, I want to thank Senators Cornyn and Blumenthal for introducing this bipartisan bill, which is cosponsored by a number of members on this Committee, including myself.

This legislation builds upon our work on the original HEAR Act in the 114th Congress.

In June of 2016, the Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the importance of reuniting Holocaust victims with their lost art, which amounts to stolen heritage. At the end of 2016, the HEAR Act cleared this committee and the Senate by voice votes.

As I said at that hearing in 2016, "The bottom line is this: we need to fulfill our commitment to make sure that this artwork is returned to its rightful owners."

The HEAR Act of 2025 will do just that.

It'll help ensure Holocaust victims and their families can have their day in court. The bill will reiterate Congress' intent that these folks should have their cases adjudicated based upon the actual merits and facts of their cases.

I look forward to seeing strong bipartisan support for this bill this morning.

-30-

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Post