White House warns of criminal probes over Democrats planned Trump investigations

Detailed summary

Trump administration warns that congressional investigations could cross into criminal conduct, while incoming House oversight chairman Robert Garcia vows to press ahead.

The White House has warned the Democrat set to lead the House of Representatives' oversight committee that investigations targeting the Trump administration could be considered criminal and themselves worthy of investigation.

In a formal letter delivered on Monday to incoming House Oversight Committee Chairman Representative Robert Garcia, White House counsel Will Scharf stated that the administration is "monitoring the abusive and capricious threats that are now proliferating from Democrat legislators", cautioning that threats directed at executive officials may be deemed criminal.

"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," Scharf wrote.

"And issuing unlawful subpoenas with the intention of depriving citizens of their constitutional rights and privileges may warrant further investigation."

The warning follows last week's stinging midterm election defeat in which Republicans lost majorities across both chambers of Congress.

A Democratic-controlled legislature will assume power in January for the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency, with party leadership pledging to investigate the actions of the president, his family, aides, and advisers.

Scharf argued that members of the incoming Congress have shown "a clear intent to transgress" constitutional limits established for congressional oversight and subpoenas.

The letter highlighted several remarks by lawmakers, including one Democrat who suggested subpoenas would be distributed like "candy", as well as an election-night post on X platform by Garcia declaring: "LAWYER UP."

Scharf argued the statements "make it abundantly clear that any forthcoming investigative processes will be deployed to harass and aggrandise, rather than to advance any legitimate legislative end."

Opening of the article, excerpted from TRT World. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.