FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the bureau had terminated several employees and disbanded its Washington Field Office’s CR-15 public corruption squad, following revelations that the FBI had tracked private communications and phone calls of multiple Republican senators under former special counsel Jack Smith. The actions come amid accusations that the bureau misused investigative authority during the Biden administration.
The moves mark the first public response from the FBI to the disclosures, which allege that Smith’s “Arctic Frost” team conducted toll-record analysis on GOP lawmakers as part of its Jan. 6 probe. Patel described the alleged monitoring as “baseless” and said the bureau must “restore integrity.”
Patel framed the terminations and squad abolishment as part of a broader reform effort. He told Fox News Digital that they are cleaning up a diseased temple three decades in the making, while adding that his goal is to remove those who weaponized law enforcement for political purposes.
‘’Transparency is important, and accountability is critical… We terminated employees, we abolished the weaponized CR-15 squad, and we initiated an ongoing investigation with more accountability measures ahead.’’ He said in a statement on X.
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FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino echoed that language, writing on X: “We promised you transparency and accountability. We will continue to deliver on those promises. You deserve better.” The CR-15 squad had supported investigations into public corruption in the nation’s capital, including via Jack Smith’s work. The revelation that CR-15 was involved in tracking GOP senators drew sharp criticism from lawmakers and commentators who viewed it as a politically motivated overreach.
A document titled “CAST Assistance,” dated September 27, 2023, reportedly details how an agent on Smith’s team conducted preliminary “toll analysis” of phone records belonging to GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham, Marsha Blackburn, Ron Johnson, Josh Hawley, Cynthia Lummis, Bill Hagerty, Dan Sullivan, Tommy Tuberville, and GOP Rep. Mike Kelly. According to the document, the analysis revealed which phone numbers were called and the originating and receipt locations, though not the content of calls. Trump, reacting to the report, attacked Smith in a Truth Social post: “Deranged Jack Smith got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. A real sleazebag!!!”
The CR-15 unit was quietly disbanded earlier in 2025, with agents reassigned, although Patel’s announcement frames the action as an immediate response to the recent disclosures. Patel has also increased use of internal reforms, including reassignments and polygraph testing, and has drawn criticism from former FBI officials who allege political influence in personnel decisions.
These events unfold amid broader tensions over how the FBI and Justice Department should conduct sensitive investigations tied to high-profile figures and partisan politics. The claim that sitting lawmakers were surveilled—even at the metadata level—raises First Amendment and separation-of-powers concerns, and may prompt congressional investigation or oversight hearings in the coming weeks. At the bureau, an internal investigation is underway, and additional reforms and accountability measures are expected