❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) terminated employees and disbanded the CR-15 squad following revelations of private communications and phone tracking of Republican lawmakers.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: FBI Director Kash Patel, Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and several GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Josh Hawley (R-MO).
📍WHEN & WHERE: Actions were announced on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We are cleaning up a diseased temple three decades in the making… restoring integrity to the FBI,” said Kash Patel.
🎯IMPACT: The FBI pledged further accountability measures, sparking renewed scrutiny of its practices and political neutrality.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it has taken swift action, terminating employees and disbanding the CR-15 squad, following revelations that private communications and phone calls of Republican lawmakers were tracked. The firings follow reports on Monday that former Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) Special Counsel Jack Smith surveilled private phone calls—and tracked the private phones—of eight Republican lawmakers.
FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the issue on Tuesday, stating, “We are cleaning up a diseased temple three decades in the making—identifying the rot, removing those who weaponized law enforcement for political purposes and those who do not meet the standards of this mission while restoring integrity to the FBI. I promised reform, and I intend to deliver it.”
Patel also posted on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability, writing, “We terminated employees, we abolished the weaponized CR-15 squad, and we initiated an ongoing investigation with more accountability measures ahead.” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino echoed Patel’s sentiments, stating, “We promised you transparency and accountability. We will continue to deliver on those promises. You deserve better.”
The CR-15 squad, which was part of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s public corruption unit, had been involved in investigations led by former Special Counsel Jack Smith. Notably, the unit played a significant role in Smith’s investigation of President Donald J. Trump. Smith and his team, under the code name “Arctic Frost,” allegedly tracked the phone calls of nearly a dozen GOP lawmakers, including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Josh Hawley (R-MO), as part of their inquiry into the January 6 Capitol riots.
Documents revealed that Smith’s team conducted toll analysis on phone records associated with these lawmakers. An FBI official confirmed that the tracking allowed Smith’s team to identify the phone numbers called, as well as the location of the calls. President Trump responded to the revelations on Truth Social, calling Smith “a real sleazebag” and accusing him of abusing his investigative powers.
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