Politics
JUST IN: GOP Rep. To Introduce Impeachment Articles Against Infamous Activist Judge Over Spying Revelations
U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) is drafting articles of impeachment against James Boasberg, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia, over bombshell revelations that he signed off on covert surveillance of prominent Republican lawmakers as part of the Biden-led Justice Department’s sprawling “Arctic Frost” investigation.
Documents released earlier this week by congressional investigators revealed that former Special Counsel Jack Smith surveilled upwards of 163 prominent conservative lawmakers, pundits, activists and lawyers, as well as some of the most prominent conservative organizations in the nation such as Turning Point USA and the Heritage Foundation. The investigation — which was personally authorized by former Attorney General Merrick Garland and former FBI Director Christopher Wray — centered on President Trump’s objections to the 2020 election but was widely open-ended.
Cordoning with several FBI field offices across the country, Arctic Frost investigators obtained phone records, sensitive political communications and bank records, among other things. Some of the individuals surveilled had no involvement with challenges to the 2020 election, while some of the organizations were not even formed at the time of the January 6 protests in 2021.
Boasberg played a pivotal role as the federal judge who authorized and signed off on multiple secret subpoenas and search warrants targeting Republican lawmakers and entities, including at least eight senators and one congressman, enabling the collection of their phone records, metadata, and related communications without their knowledge or consent
In one particular instance, Boasberg approved a subpoena issued by Smith’s team to AT&T in 2022 for Senator Ted Cruz’s personal cellphone data -—covering calls, texts, voicemails, and geolocation from January 4-7, 2021 — as well as his Senate office landline via Verizon, framing it as part of probing potential “election conspiracy” ties to Trump.
Boasberg justified this by claiming “reasonable grounds” that Cruz posed risks like destroying evidence, tampering with records, intimidating witnesses, or jeopardizing national security if notified.
Judge James Boasberg speaks at the ABA conference on April 2, 2025
Cruz has vehemently denied as baseless and politically driven, noting no evidence supported such claims and that AT&T ultimately resisted compliance citing constitutional protections for Congress. This surveillance extended to communications with legislative staff, media, and other Republicans, with Boasberg reportedly issuing similar orders “like placemats at Denny’s” for other targets, turning Arctic Frost into a broad dragnet against GOP figures challenging the 2020 election.
Arctic Frost surveillance was deliberately kept secret from the targets, including Senator Ted Cruz, through nondisclosure or “gag” orders signed by Judge Boasberg that explicitly prohibited telecommunications providers like AT&T and Verizon from informing the subpoenaed individuals or entities for at least one year, under threat of legal penalties. These orders cited the aforementioned risks of evidence destruction or investigation compromise, ensuring the Biden-era FBI and DOJ could conduct what Republicans call a covert “spying campaign.”
During a press conference on Thursday, several Republican lawmakers, including Senator Cruz, called on the House to introduce articles of impeachment against Boasberg due to his role in the emerging scandal. Cruz accused Boasberg of an “egregious abuse of judicial power” and becoming a “partisan warrior” by authorizing secret subpoenas and gag orders as part of the investigation.
Hours later, Rep. Gill indicated that he will be reintroducing articles of impeachment against Boasberg as a result of the latest revelations. Gill had previously introduced impeachment articles over Boasberg’s attempts to block the Trump Administration’s implementation of the Alien Enemies Act earlier this year.
“Senator Cruz is exactly right: Judge Boasberg needs to be impeached,” Gill posted on X. “I’m working on the Articles of Impeachment now.”
In order to impeach a federal judge, the U.S. House of Representatives must approve a motion to hold a trial by a simple majority vote. Removal is highly unlikely, however, as such an action would require a conviction in the Senate with a two-thirds vote.
