Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee sharply criticized Chief Judge James Boasberg of the D.C. District Court, labeling him an “activist judge” for approving FBI subpoenas targeting Republican senators as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s “Arctic Frost” probe.
Boasberg, an Obama appointee long known for rulings against former President Donald Trump’s policies, allegedly authorized a subpoena seeking Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s private communications, along with a gag order preventing disclosure of the surveillance. Cruz revealed the details during a press conference Wednesday, accusing the judge of rubber-stamping the subpoenas.
“You’re looking at an activist judge, who stepped forward and said he would sign off on these subpoenas,” Blackburn said in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation. She argued that the Biden administration, through Attorney General Merrick Garland, weaponized the Justice Department by greenlighting Smith’s politically charged investigation.
According to Blackburn, the gag order blocked telecom companies from notifying lawmakers about the FBI’s monitoring, citing concerns over “destruction of evidence” and potential “flight risk.”
Documents released by the Senate on October 6 revealed that Smith’s team monitored the personal phone calls and messages of Cruz, Blackburn, and seven other Republican lawmakers during the “Arctic Frost” operation, which was focused on post-2020 election challenges.
“We don’t have the subpoenas for all the senators, but my assumption is Judge Boasberg printed these things out like placemats at Denny’s,” Cruz said, holding up what he described as the Boasberg gag order.
Boasberg has previously drawn sharp criticism from conservatives for blocking Trump-era deportation policies. Calls for his impeachment resurfaced after Wednesday’s revelations, with Cruz demanding accountability and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filing a misconduct complaint in July, alleging bias against the Trump administration.
Blackburn warned that judicial approval of such actions amounts to a dangerous politicization of the courts.
“Lady Justice wears the blindfold,” Blackburn said. “Judges are supposed to uphold equal treatment and equal justice for all — not serve as political weapons.”
