Des Moines Sun

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has criticized Democratic members of the committee for what he describes as a double standard regarding congressional oversight of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation.

In a letter responding to inquiries from Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and other Democrats, Grassley wrote, “Many of my Democratic colleagues failed to speak up when for four years the Biden administration obstructed my oversight and retaliated against my whistleblowers. 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 outlined a history in which he says Democrats did not support Republican-led oversight efforts when they held the majority. He noted that his investigation into then-Special Counsel Jack Smith began in 2022. On the current Arctic Frost inquiry, Grassley stated: “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 further criticized Democrats for not supporting his efforts to declassify certain government documents or backing investigations into alleged misconduct involving the Biden family. He said Democrats labeled these investigations as “Russian disinformation” and did not support whistleblowers during the Biden administration.

He added: “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."

Grassley concluded by expressing willingness to assist with legitimate oversight requests from Democrats after his own long-standing requests are addressed: “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 wrote.