DOJ letter describes Arctic Frost filter-team bypass and congressional text-message access

A four-page Justice Department letter released July 14, 2026 states that the Special Counsel investigative team directly accessed National Archives text-message spreadsheets involving 44 current or former members of Congress before the established filter-team review process was completed. The letter is an official source about process and records access; it does not by itself establish a criminal violation.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice letter released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley