Republican lawmakers are moving to hold Judge James Boasberg accountable after revelations tied to Operation Arctic Frost showed wide-ranging subpoenas and secrecy orders during the prior administration, prompting calls for impeachment from members of the GOP who say judicial overreach and political targeting cannot stand.
House and Senate Republicans are reacting angrily to new details about mass subpoenas issued under the name Operation Arctic Frost, which targeted conservative leaders and citizens. The most explosive detail involves a secrecy order tied to AT&T that kept Senator Ted Cruz in the dark about a subpoena, and that order was signed off by Chief Judge James Boasberg. Conservatives say this exemplifies a politicized use of the legal system that must be checked by Congress.
Florida Representative Byron Donalds told Fox News that Texas Representative Brandon Gill is preparing formal impeachment paperwork against Boasberg, a move many on the right view as long overdue. Republicans argue that judges who enable or rubber-stamp politically motivated investigations undermine public confidence in courts and prosecutors and must face consequences when they appear to abuse their authority.
The controversy centers on roughly 197 subpoenas issued as part of Operation Arctic Frost, which critics describe as an unprecedented scope of surveillance and legal pressure on Republican figures during the Biden era. Among the targets was Sen. Ted Cruz, and the order approved by Boasberg supposedly barred AT&T from notifying the senator that he had been subpoenaed. That degree of secrecy set off alarms among GOP lawmakers who see it as a violation of basic due process and a weaponization of investigative tools.
Sen. Cruz publicly read the order in question and called it an “abuse of power,” stressing that the court’s rationale—fearing destruction or tampering of evidence or intimidation of witnesses—had no factual basis in his case. He said, “There is precisely zero evidence to conclude that I am likely to destroy or tamper with evidence,” and insisted the order was politically motivated rather than legally justified.
Critics on the right point out that secrecy orders like this one carry huge risks when applied to elected officials and public figures, because they can chill speech and shield investigative processes from proper oversight. The GOP view is that the justice system is being used as a blunt instrument to silence and intimidate opposition, and judges who enable that deserve congressional scrutiny and potentially impeachment if wrongdoing is found.
Donalds framed the issue bluntly on air, saying, “He should be impeached. This is why I’m glad that my colleague out of Texas, Rep. Brandon Gill, is actually filing those documents to have him impeached.” His comments reflect a broader Republican sentiment that judicial independence does not mean immunity from accountability when actions look more like political favor than impartial law.
Donald continued sharply: “You can not have a judge just be rogue in our system of justice, helping to abet a rogue prosecutor like Jack Smith to start targeting any American, let alone United States senators.” That language echoes GOP concerns about prosecutorial overreach and the danger of judges facilitating unchecked investigations into political opponents instead of enforcing neutral applications of law.
Other Republican voices have joined the chorus. One senator who rarely calls for such measures declared this the first time he has urged a judge’s impeachment, arguing that appellate courts and even the Supreme Court often rein in errant district judges—but that Boasberg stands apart. The post reads in part, “He’s openly biased, gone rogue, and likely broken the law,” a stark accusation that underscores how seriously some Republicans view the situation.
The sequence of events and the secrecy surrounding some of the subpoenas have sparked demands for documents, explanations, and oversight. GOP lawmakers are pressing for transparency about how many orders were issued, who authorized them, and on what factual basis. They want to know whether standard legal safeguards were followed or whether political goals drove the process.
For conservatives, impeachment is not about score settling; it is about restoring norms that keep the judiciary from becoming a political weapon. Members pushing this effort say their aim is to protect the Constitution and the rule of law by ensuring that judges who cross clear lines are held responsible.
As the House considers what steps to take, the debate will hinge on evidence of misconduct and whether Boasberg’s actions meet the constitutional threshold for impeachment. Republicans are making their case publicly and preparing the procedural groundwork for formal action.
“‘The court finds reasonable grounds that such disclosure will result in destruction of or tampering with evidence,'” Cruz read, speaking about the order. “‘Intimidation of witnesses and serious jeopardy to the investigation.'”
“There is precisely zero evidence to conclude that I am likely to destroy or tamper with evidence,” he added. “Or to intimidate potential witnesses. Zero evidentiary basis for that. This order is an abuse of power. This order is a weaponized legal system.”
The coming weeks will reveal whether the Republican push gains traction, whether evidence of improper judicial conduct is produced, and whether impeachment proceedings move forward. GOP leaders say they will follow the facts and pursue accountability where the rule of law was compromised.
Meanwhile, lawmakers and commentators on the right will keep the issue in the spotlight, arguing that failure to act would signal tolerance for politicized justice and further erosion of public trust in courts and prosecutors.
GITMO and execution by firing squad!