Exclusive | DOJ civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon reveals to ‘Pod Force One’ she was targeted by FBI’s Arctic Frost probe
During a “Pod Force One” interview that went live on Wednesday, Harmeet Dhillon—who runs the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice—disclosed that she was among the many Republicans the FBI, under the Biden administration, had focused on as part of the infamous “Arctic Frost” investigation.
Dhillon, a seasoned conservative attorney, explained that she had handled a number of cases filed by the Biden DOJ. She was shocked to learn that the FBI had monitored her as part of a 2020 effort to investigate alleged election interference.
“In there’s almost never an excuse to pierce a lawyer’s privilege,” Dhillon said of the DOJ’s work on a Project Veritas case, where they sought the diary of Ashley Biden.
She went on to say the DOJ has repeatedly targeted lawyers and their client communications. Her firm, the Dhillon Law Group, was mentioned several times in the Arctic Frost disclosures as a communication target.
“Are you saying they spied on you?” Miranda Devine, the podcast host and Post columnist, asked.
“Yes,” Dhillon replied. “We were in the investigative pool because we represented the Republican National Committee, the Trump campaign, and several other MAGA entities. Other law firms connected to current DOJ officials are in the same boat.”
Dhillon added that the Trump DOJ will eventually get to the bottom of the situation.
Senate Republican Chuck Grassley released declassified FBI files on “Arctic Frost” in October, calling the probe a “fishing expedition” that improperly probed the entire GOP apparatus. More than 430 Republican individuals and entities were swept up in the net that opened in late 2022.
In May 2023, the special counsel then led by Jack Smith subpoenaed the private cell‑phone logs of almost a dozen members of Congress to trace their communications before and after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Senator Ted Cruz—one of those targeted—along with others, has called for federal judge James Boasberg’s removal for approving the subpoenas.
A clause inside a recent stop‑gap government funding bill lets senators sue the DOJ for up to $500,000 if their call logs are seized.
Many of the communications in the Project Veritas case were legally privileged, meaning they were confidential exchanges between Dhillon and her clients. She criticized the DOJ for probing privileged lawyer‑client conversations, arguing it violates a cornerstone of the legal system taught in law school. “It’s outrageous to investigate lawyers and their communications and claim there is no privilege,” she said.
Dhillon emphasized that a lawyer must consider, from a jurisprudence point of view, how the same rule would apply if the roles were reversed. “The piercing of privilege is deeply problematic and constitutes a serious violation of our cultural norms.”
She said no one had been told that her phone might be monitored, making the situation “very chilling.”
“Such a culture,” Dhillon remarked of Biden’s DOJ, “has included documents hidden in fire‑proof bags, FBI files containing hidden aliases, and former FBI Director James Comey using a pseudonymous email and self‑designated titles. It’s the sort of arrogance only a few have witnessed.”
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
