The file
Arctic Frost is the FBI’s 2020-election probe that later fed Jack Smith’s elector case. Grassley-released Justice Department briefing notes from a January 13, 2023, session for Attorney General Merrick Garland list a “Chief Judge Howell Meeting” and record that “She liked our approach of pursuing the executive privilege litigation in an omnibus fashion.” The same notes put Judge James Boasberg on March 18 — the day after he took her chief-judge chair. The notes are a released document. They are not a finding that she plotted with Smith.
Beryl A. Howell. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts official still, 13 December 2018. U.S. government work. Wikimedia Commons File:Beryl_Howell_(cropped).jpg.
Arctic Frost · released document
January 13, 2023, AG briefing notes. “She liked our approach” on omnibus executive-privilege litigation. Boasberg booked for March 18. Not dumped again as a photo card below.
Barack Obama, official portrait, 13 January 2009. Pete Souza. CC BY 3.0.
Confirmation
Obama nominated her July 14, 2010. Senate confirmed by voice vote December 22. Commission December 27. PN1967.
E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse. AgnosticPreachersKid, 30 May 2010. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Chief judge
Chief judge March 2016–March 17, 2023. Grand-jury supervision is the chief-judge job. Not a handshake with Mueller.
Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. Voice of America. U.S. government work.
Mueller grand jury
19-gj-48. She granted House Judiciary access to certain Mueller grand-jury materials. A disclosure order is not a crime finding.
J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building. Ajay Suresh. CC BY 2.0.
Scott Perry · Arctic Frost
22-sc-2144. She issued the D.D.C. warrant on Perry’s extracted phone and later ordered most records produced. Named in the successor opinion.
Donald J. Trump, official White House portrait, 6 October 2017. Shealah Craighead. U.S. government work.
Twitter / X warrant
Warrant for @realDonaldTrump, plus a gag. Twitter delayed. She held the company in contempt and fined $350,000. Circuit affirmed.
E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse. AgnosticPreachersKid, 30 May 2010. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Succession
She left the chief-judge chair. Boasberg took it. The January notes had already written “Judge Boasberg = March 18.”
E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse. AgnosticPreachersKid, 30 May 2010. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Public speech
Politico: Jan. 6 “big lies,” a Heather Cox Richardson “authoritarianism” line. No full transcript retrieved. She did not name Trump, the outlets said.
United States Capitol, west front. Architect of the Capitol. U.S. government work.
Ethics complaint
Stefanik letter, Dec. 15, 2023. Misconduct complaint, not a House resolution. Later reporting: Tenth Circuit dismissed a matching complaint.
Beryl A. Howell. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts official still, 13 December 2018. U.S. government work. Wikimedia Commons File:Beryl_Howell_(cropped).jpg.
Senior status
Senior status February 1, 2024. Still on the D.C. court. Not a resignation.
Donald J. Trump, official White House portrait, 6 October 2017. Shealah Craighead. U.S. government work.
NLRB removal
25-cv-334. She voided the Wilcox firing. SCOTUS stayed the order, 24A966. A district judgment is not the last word.
Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. Voice of America. U.S. government work.
Perkins Coie EO
25-cv-716. Permanent injunction against EO 14230. Shakespeare in the first pages. Not a Supreme Court holding.
Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. Voice of America. U.S. government work.
CASA complaint
CASA to the D.C. Circuit, April 2026. Federalist exclusive. Allegation about the Grassley notes. Not House articles.
Commentary
Coverage log. Real URLs listed. Treehouse, OANN, Deep Capture, Breitbart, Daily Wire, RCP, NR, Free Beacon: no URL retrieved on this judge.