Previewing the partisan battles to come, the White House fired a warning shot at House Democrats’ top investigator Wednesday.
asserted
House → preview → investigator
The Trump administration is “monitoring” Democrats’ “abusive and capricious threats” to launch congressional probes, said White House Counsel Will Scharf in a letter to Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., who is poised to become chairman of the powerful Oversight Committee starting in January.
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who → monitor → January
And, Scharf warned, those threats may be criminal and warrant their own executive-branch investigations.
uncertain
threats → warn → investigations
His letter was shared with NBC News by a White House official.
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letter → share → official
While threats of political reprisal for partisan investigations are commonplace, the suggestion of a congressional probe constituting criminality is not.
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suggestion → constitute → criminality
When President Joe Biden occupied the White House, and Republicans took control of Congress, Democrats cried foul that Trump’s allies were only interested in launching partisan probes that damaged their political enemies.
But those high-profile investigations continued unimpeded.
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investigations → occupy → enemies
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., led probes into the international business dealings of Biden’s son and brother, Hunter Biden and James Biden.
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Comer → lead → son
In the letter dated Monday, Scharf rattled off numerous examples of Democratic lawmakers making cavalier threats of issuing subpoenas.
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lawmakers → date → subpoenas
For example, Rep. Analilia Mejia, D-N.J., wrote on X, “We’re going to toss out subpoenas like Mardi Gras beads,” while Rep. Emily Randall, D-Wash., said they’ll be passed out “like candy.”
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they → write → candy
The White House pointed to Supreme Court rulings that have held that congressional investigations must be tied to a legitimate legislative purpose and must not be used to punish political opponents.
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investigations → point → opponents
But House and Senate committees under both parties have broad authority to investigate a range of matters, and they’ve rarely been stopped by the courts.
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they → have → courts
Scharf accused Democrats of seeking “to abuse the legislative process to intimidate and to interfere with the lawful functioning of government,” adding that “threats to executive branch officials designed to deter them from public service, or process designed merely to abuse or instill fear in the recipient may cross the line into blatant criminality.”
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threats → accuse → criminality
Trump himself has used his office to target his political enemies.
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Trump → use → enemies
A year ago, the president accused Democrats of criminality, saying on social media that a video posted by Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and other Democrats telling service members not to follow illegal orders amounted to “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!”
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video → accuse → DEATH
The Trump administration failed to secure an indictment against those Democrats over the video, and a judge later found that their speech was protected by the First Amendment in blocking the Pentagon’s attempt to punish Kelly.
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speech → fail → Kelly
The president has also publicly called on his Justice Department to investigate Democrats who probed his family and business dealings, including Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
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who → call → Schiff
Responding to Scharf’s letter, Garcia invoked the separation of powers in a statement and said newly empowered congressional Democrats will stay the course in investigating the president and his administration.
“It appears
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It → respond → president
Donald Trump has something to hide
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Trump → have → something
Let’s be clear: Congress’ authority comes from Article I of the Constitution, not from the permission of the White House.
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authority → come → House
Congress has wide latitude to conduct investigations and oversight, an authority inherent in the power to legislate,” Garcia said in a statement.
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Garcia → have → statement
Garcia and other Democrats who will lead congressional committees beginning in January have made no secret of their interest in investigating Trump, as well as his family, businesses and administration.
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who → lead → Trump
As NBC News reported this month, the White House was gearing up for a defense even before Election Day, hiring staff in the counsel’s office, while individual current and former aides have hired lawyers.
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aides → report → lawyers
“The American people voted overwhelmingly for us to pass laws to root out corruption and abuse,” Garcia said.
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Garcia → vote → corruption
“The Trump Administration continues to weaponize the government with threats of unconstitutional attacks on Congress.
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Administration → continue → Congress
We are a co-equal branch of government and will not be deterred by baseless threats from a weaponized DOJ or from the President’s lawyers.”
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We → deter → lawyers
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