Reports of an “enemy list” and expanded surveillance powers emerge from investigations into federal agency actions during the Biden administration.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A series of investigations, declassified materials, and congressional findings are being cited by Republican lawmakers as evidence that federal agencies over the past decade were used to target political opponents, including President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn said recent disclosures suggest a coordinated effort involving multiple federal entities. Speaking to Just The News, Blackburn said, “What they did, seemingly, was to target people that they knew supported the president and that the president was talking with.”
She added that the scope of the activity raised broader concerns about intent. “You get the feeling that they had a short list or an enemies list or a target list, and while they were trying to pull him in and say it was a conspiracy, then you have to just surmise that their intent was they could surveil us and try to make us coconspirators,” Blackburn said.
According to the materials referenced by lawmakers, the list of individuals subject to scrutiny extended beyond elected officials to include private citizens, activists, and parents involved in local education issues. The origins of the efforts were traced to investigations surrounding alleged Russian interference during the 2016 election period, with activity reportedly expanding after 2021.
A National Security Council strategy document from June 2021, later declassified, outlined coordination between agencies including the Department of Justice, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security to monitor what was described as “concerning non-criminal behavior” tied to domestic threats. The document referenced categories such as individuals associated with certain political symbols, gun ownership, religious affiliations, or opposition to government policies.
Whistleblower accounts cited in congressional reviews alleged that these guidelines led to investigative actions involving school board participants and pro-life organizations, while critics claimed similar scrutiny was not applied evenly across ideological lines.
The Department of Justice’s enforcement of the FACE Act, which governs access to reproductive health services and places of worship, also drew attention. A review described in the findings alleged disparities in prosecution outcomes, including longer prison sentences for certain defendants and coordination with advocacy groups during investigations.
Federal funding decisions were also examined. In 2022, the Department of Justice invited Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to apply for a grant under a community violence program while her office pursued an election-related case involving Trump. Her office ultimately received multiple grants totaling more than $18 million.
During the same period, the FBI launched an investigation known as “Arctic Frost,” which examined efforts by Trump allies related to alternate electors following the 2020 election. Internal records reviewed by lawmakers indicated the probe involved hundreds of individuals and organizations. The investigation was later incorporated into efforts led by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
As part of the inquiry, prosecutors obtained telecommunications metadata—including call logs and related information—from personal devices belonging to several Republican lawmakers, including Blackburn, as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Ron Johnson. The data was collected through grand jury subpoenas accompanied by nondisclosure orders.
Blackburn said the process raised concerns about how records were obtained. “What we also know is that you had judges who were willing to work with the DOJ and while they were broad-based with this, they also couldn’t define exactly what it was they were looking for,” she said.
She further stated, “So you had Jack Smith and the Arctic Frost team cherry-picking what judges they would take these orders to, and then they thought they could get a non-disclosure orders on this. This is much larger and more widespread than Watergate because you had over 400 conservative individuals and organizations that were surveilled by Jack Smith and Arctic Frost.”
The House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, after nearly two years of oversight, documented what it described as a “two-tiered system” involving interactions between federal agencies and technology companies, as well as allegations of retaliatory treatment of whistleblowers and politically influenced prosecutions.
The findings remain part of ongoing political and legal debates over the scope of federal authority, oversight, and the role of law enforcement agencies in matters involving national security and domestic policy.
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