The White House has issued a warning to Democrats over their planned probes into the Trump administration, claiming that such investigations may amount to "blatant criminality." The warning comes in the form of a letter from White House counsel Will Scharf to Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
Garcia, who is expected to chair the powerful panel in the new Democratic-controlled Congress, has been warning Trump officials to "lawyer up" as his party is on the way to stunning victories in last week's midterm election. The letter's existence was first reported by Punchbowl News.
Scharf wrote that "threats to executive branch officials designed to deter them from public service, or processes designed merely to abuse or instill fear in the recipient may cross the line into blatant criminality." The warning is part of a broader effort by the White House to limit the scope of congressional investigations.
Garcia responded to the letter by saying that "it appears Donald Trump has something to hide" and stressed that Congress' investigative powers do not need the "permission of the White House." "Congress has wide latitude to conduct investigations and oversight, an authority inherent in the power to legislate," Garcia said.
Democrats are preparing a vast oversight agenda to look at how Trump and his family have become wealthier since he returned to office. The Republican president and his White House have long denied any wrongdoing.
Garcia also wants to look at the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Other targets include Trump's White House ballroom and other construction projects, as well as the Trump family's role in mineral deals and Trump's crypto dealings with special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a CNN interview that aired Sunday that "there could be" a crime to investigate if rhetoric from Democrats turned threatening. He appeared to strike a more conciliatory tone during an appearance in Missouri this week, saying "Congress has oversight authority. It always has, it always will. The Department of Justice, the federal government, works with Congress to address questions they have — whether it's through subpoenas or letters — so we're not going to stop working with Congress."
Some lawmakers cautioned Democrats against overreaching.
Outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Trump critic, said he hopes Democrats don't squander their new powers on "stupid things." "I hope they have real hearings about real things, not another Russiagate," he said, referring to a previous congressional inquiry into ties between Trump's first presidential campaign in 2016 and Russia. Trump repeatedly denounced that investigation as a "hoax."
"I think there is some real corruption there around the fringes," Massie said about Trump and some of those around the president. Massie lost his primary election to a Trump-backed GOP challenger.
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., who is expected to be the next House Ethics Committee chairman, said he would not back down from any investigations because of warnings from the White House. "If they're trying to intimidate, at least for me, it's not going to get me," said DeSaulnier, who was a Republican before he switched to the Democratic Party in 2000. "I don't work for a mafia, a mob organization."
The warning from the White House comes as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress, with Garcia set to chair the House Oversight Committee. The committee has the power to conduct investigations and hold hearings, and Democrats have promised to use that authority to scrutinize the Trump administration.
In the letter, Scharf warned that any attempts to intimidate or threaten executive branch officials could be seen as "blatant criminality." He also stressed that the White House would work with Congress to address any questions or concerns they may have.
The warning has been met with skepticism by some lawmakers, who see it as an attempt by the White House to limit the scope of congressional investigations.
Garcia has promised to use the committee's authority to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions. "Congress has oversight authority. It always has, it always will," he said. "The Department of Justice, the federal government, works with Congress to address questions they have — whether it's through subpoenas or letters — so we're not going to stop working with Congress."
The committee's investigation is expected to focus on a range of issues, including the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Other targets include Trump's White House ballroom and other construction projects, as well as the Trump family's role in mineral deals and Trump's crypto dealings with special envoy Steve Witkoff.
The warning from the White House comes as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress, with Garcia set to chair the House Oversight Committee. The committee has the power to conduct investigations and hold hearings, and Democrats have promised to use that authority to scrutinize the Trump administration.
In the letter, Scharf warned that any attempts to intimidate or threaten executive branch officials could be seen as "blatant criminality." He also stressed that the White House would work with Congress to address any questions or concerns they may have.
The warning has been met with skepticism by some lawmakers, who see it as an attempt by the White House to limit the scope of congressional investigations.
Garcia has promised to use the committee's authority to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions. "Congress has oversight authority. It always has, it always will," he said. "The Department of Justice, the federal government, works with Congress to address questions they have — whether it's through subpoenas or letters — so we're not going to stop working with Congress."
The committee's investigation is expected to focus on a range of issues, including the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Other targets include Trump's White House ballroom and other construction projects, as well as the Trump family's role in mineral deals and Trump's crypto dealings with special envoy Steve Witkoff.
The warning from the White House comes as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress, with Garcia set to chair the House Oversight Committee. The committee has the power to conduct investigations and hold hearings, and Democrats have promised to use that authority to scrutinize the Trump administration.
In the letter, Scharf warned that any attempts to intimidate or threaten executive branch officials could be seen as "blatant criminality." He also stressed that the White House would work with Congress to address any questions or concerns they may have.
The warning has been met with skepticism by some lawmakers, who see it as an attempt by the White House to limit the scope of congressional investigations.
Garcia has promised to use the committee's authority to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions. "Congress has oversight authority. It always has, it always will," he said. "The Department of Justice, the federal government, works with Congress to address questions they have — whether it's through subpoenas or letters — so we're not going to stop working with Congress."
Written by: Clark Fader | The Citizen Edition
“The darkness prevails.”