From Fox News: A top federal court official defended Judge James Boasberg’s gag orders that hid subpoenas related to the FBI’s Arctic Frost investigation, saying this week that the chief judge in Washington would likely have been unaware that the subpoenas’ intended targets were members of Congress.
The administrative office for the federal courts indicated that the chief judge in D.C. routinely blindly signed gag orders when the Department of Justice requested them, including during Arctic Frost, the investigation that led to former special counsel Jack Smith bringing election charges against President Donald Trump.
The administrative office’s director, Robert Conrad Jr., provided the explanation on behalf of Boasberg to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital.
The letter came in response to Grassley, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, demanding an explanation from Boasberg about why he authorized the one-year gag orders, which barred phone companies from telling Republican Congress members that their records were subpoenaed by Smith in 2023.
Conrad noted in his letter that the DOJ’s requests for gag orders, also known as non-disclosure orders “would not reveal whether a particular phone number belonged to a member of Congress.”
Grassley furiously responded that this is a problem, and noted that the Constitution’s speech or debate clause, which gives Congress members added protections in prosecutorial matters, was simply ignored.
“Smith went ahead with the congressional subpoenas anyway, and it appears he and his team didn’t apprise the court of member involvement,” Grassley said, adding, “Smith’s apparent lack of candor is deeply troubling, and he needs to answer for his conduct.”
Boasberg reportedly authorized numerous gag orders that blocked phone companies from notifying Republican lawmakers that Smith had subpoenaed their phone data.
CLICK HERE to read the letter.
The Senate Judiciary Committee had requested that Boasberg, along with U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Boardman from Maryland, appear to testify at a Senate hearing on Wednesday. Reportedly, they refused to do so.
🚨 BREAKING: Obama-appointed activist Judge Boasberg has REFUSED to testify at tomorrow’s Senate hearing on rogue judges.
This is the same judge who illegally blocks President Trump at every single turn. Now he thinks he’s above the law?
ABSOLUTE DISGRACE.
Senate Republicans…
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) December 2, 2025
When Peter Navarro refuses to testify before an illegally constituted House committee he is arrested and jailed. When Judge Boasberg refuses to testify, nothing happens.#arrogant https://t.co/k8bqZWbD6G
— Roger Stone (@RogerJStoneJr) December 2, 2025
🚨JUST IN: Judge Boasberg DECLINED requests to testify at tomorrow’s Senate hearing on “rogue judges” due to concerns about ‘separation of powers ‘and ‘judicial ethics.’ https://t.co/ISJbkvSrCh pic.twitter.com/pg5ZLvgIgX
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) December 2, 2025
READ MORE from Fox News.
Many are calling for Boasberg to be impeached.
So it’s the “I didn’t know” defense? Thought ignorance of the law was not an excuse. At best, it’s gross negligence of his duties as a judge. Impeach him. Now. You have a case… https://t.co/eALdxvgfV6
— Brian David (@BrianDa44888478) December 3, 2025
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