NewsMacroDemocrats Prepare Potential House Investigations of Trump and His Family

Democrats Prepare Potential House Investigations of Trump and His Family

Author: Alternet·

Key Takeaways

  • Rep. Robert Garcia is expected to lead the Oversight Committee if Democrats regain control of the House.
  • Garcia’s committee estimates that Trump received $2.25 billion in foreign payments during the first year of his second term.
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin is examining investments linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump that could involve companies receiving government contracts or policy benefits.
  • Potential inquiries include pardons of convicted fraudsters, including nursing home executive Joseph Schwartz, who was sentenced for a $38 million fraud scheme.
  • Rep. Jared Huffman is examining a proposed $1.2 billion settlement involving a German energy company and a Louisiana liquefied natural gas project owned by a Trump donor.
Democrats Prepare Potential House Investigations of Trump and His Family

Democrats do not yet control the U.S. House, but members and staffers are already preparing a potential investigative agenda should the party regain the majority in November’s midterm elections.

With little official business remaining in the current session, Democrats have begun planning investigations that could focus on President Donald Trump, his administration and his family, according to the Washington Post. The newspaper reported that about a dozen Democratic members and staffers expected to lead committees are identifying potential targets and gathering research for what they describe as broad inquiries into Trump’s wealth while in office, his restructuring of the federal government and his pursuit of political opponents. Because Democrats do not currently control the House, these efforts remain preparatory and would depend on the party winning the majority before becoming a congressional investigative agenda.

In recent weeks, congressional staffers have also consulted outside groups about how to conduct effective investigations.

“There’s so much corruption and grift that it’s going to take the entire House on the Democratic side to do investigations appropriately,” said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), who would likely chair the Oversight Committee if Democrats control the House. “We are all talking.”

Democrats are laying the groundwork for inquiries into how Trump and his family have increased their wealth during his presidency. Garcia’s committee has launched a tracker of the Trump family’s profits from cryptocurrency and foreign deals, estimating that Trump received $2.25 billion in foreign payments during the first year of his second term.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), who is expected to become Judiciary Committee chair, is examining investments by venture capital firms linked to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. The Post reported that a potential investigation could examine companies that received government contracts or benefited from administration policies.

Other potential subjects include Trump’s settlement with the IRS, which the source says shields his family and businesses from future audits; Truth Social’s sale of access to Trump’s posts; and the activities of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Democrats also plan to examine Trump’s use of clemency to pardon convicted fraudsters who donated to his campaigns or maintained ties to his political circle. Many of those pardoned were also relieved of requirements to pay restitution to victims.

“One case they’ve flagged for review is that of nursing home executive Joseph Schwartz, who spent nearly $1 million lobbying last year for a pardon, which Trump granted seven months after Schwartz was sentenced for defrauding the government out of $38 million,” the Post reported.

Rep. Jared Huffman said he is focusing on “mining and energy deals that have benefited Trump’s supporters.” He cited Trump’s offer of a $1.2 billion settlement to a German energy company in exchange for giving up its offshore wind leases. Under the deal, the company must reinvest most of the money in a Louisiana liquefied natural gas project owned by a Trump donor.

“Trump is using the settlement fund as a slush fund,” Huffman said. “It’s a glaring example of just the abuse of trust and the total waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Other possible areas of investigation include immigration enforcement, Trump’s restructuring of the federal government and prosecutions of political opponents. Those opponents include former FBI Director James B. Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James and lawmakers who released a video in November stating that military personnel could refuse illegal orders.

The Epstein files are also expected to draw congressional scrutiny. The source says Trump reversed a campaign promise concerning the files and the convicted sex offender’s crimes, without explaining why. The original report was published by Alternet.