Jack Smith's probe collected data on 639,000 Republican voters

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith's office, in conjunction with the Biden Department of Justice, obtained spreadsheets containing personal information on more than 639,000 Republican campaign donors and supporters. This data, detailed in a memo from Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, included physical home addresses, credit card information, occupations, and donation amounts. The Arctic Frost investigation was initiated by the Biden DOJ in April 2022 to probe attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. According to Grassley's memo, over 148,000 rows within the collected spreadsheets are designated as donors, with most contributions being of small value.

Details of the collected data

The information gathered on voters and donors encompassed names, dates of birth, physical addresses, email addresses, and voter registration status. The data also included occupations and places of employment, with examples cited such as retirees, pool technicians, and drivers. Credit card information, donor analysis data, and the specific amounts donated were also part of the collected records. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley stated that the data collected was "incredibly invasive donor data, and voter data, beyond what could conceivably be necessary" for the special counsel's mandate. He suggested that Smith and his team aimed to map out the "entire Republican Party apparatus."

Coverage: What the right emphasised

Right-rated reports led with the assertion that former Special Counsel Jack Smith collected extensive personal data on hundreds of thousands of Republican voters and donors. The Gateway Pundit's headline stated, "BREAKING: Dirty Jack Smith Collected Information on Hundreds of Thousands of Republican Voters and Donors, Including Addresses and Credit Card Info." The New York Times Post reported, "Massive trove of Republican voter and donor info breached in Biden DOJ probe: Senate chairman." Bizpac Review and thedailybs.com used similar headlines focusing on the FBI probe obtaining personal data of "everyday republicans, MAGA hat buyers." RedState's headline declared, "New Arctic Frost Bombshell: Jack Smith's Witch Hunt Swept Up at Least 639,000 Republicans." These reports consistently cited Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley's memo as the source of the information regarding the 639,000 individuals and the types of data collected, including physical addresses and credit card information. Several reports also mentioned that the Arctic Frost investigation was a "taxpayer-funded Biden DOJ witch hunt" or "sham," and that Smith's team coordinated with the Biden DOJ to "spy on their political opposition." Some reports noted that Jack Smith's team had also obtained gag orders to prevent GOP lawmakers from knowing their phone records were subpoenaed.

Omissions

None of the right-rated reports below mention the specific details of the 2020 election efforts that the Arctic Frost investigation was examining, beyond stating it was to investigate "efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election."