In brief

• The White House counsel warned incoming House Democrats that aggressive investigations of the Trump administration could cross into criminal conduct.
• Oversight chair-designate Robert Garcia said the White House appeared to have something to hide and vowed to continue.
• Legal experts criticized the letter as likely to help Democrats' case.

White House letter to incoming Democratic chair

White House counsel William O. Scharf wrote a three-page letter to Representative Robert Garcia, the Democrat expected to lead the House Oversight Committee when the new Congress convenes in January. (Demokraten im US-Kongress: US-Regierung warnt Demokraten wegen geplanter Untersuchungen – ZEIT ONLINE) (White House warns congressional Democrats: Investigating us may be a crime – NBCNews.com) According to reports, Scharf argued that inquiries and subpoenas lacking a legitimate legislative purpose, or used to punish officials or intimidate them out of public service, could amount to blatant criminal conduct. (Democrat says Trump has ‘something to hide’ after White House threatens oversight efforts – The Guardian) He also suggested that issuing unlawful subpoenas to strip citizens of constitutional rights could warrant further investigation, though the letter cited no precedent for that point. (Белый дом предупредил демократов, что агрессивные расследования против администрации Трампа могут счесть преступлением, не уточнив, каким – The Insider)

Democrats push back

Garcia said the White House appeared to have "something to hide" and vowed to continue his work despite what he called baseless threats. He stressed that Congress has broad authority to investigate and oversee the executive branch, and that such powers are inseparable from lawmaking. (Демократы готовят расследование обогащения семьи Трампа — Белый дом ответил угрозами – in.ua) His office had not received the letter by Wednesday morning, according to Russian-language reporting.

Legal reaction and the administration's stance

Legal experts quoted by Forbes and The New York Times criticized the letter, saying it could help rather than hinder Democrats' case. (White House Counsel Sends Letter To Try And Stop Democrats From Investigating Trump – Forbes) (В Белом доме пытаются угрозами добиться, чтобы демократы не расследовали действия Трампа и его администрации — NYT – NV) Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN the day before the letter's date that lawmakers were doing little beyond threatening everything the administration does. The New York Times reported that the White House may repeat its first-term approach, when the administration resisted House subpoenas after Democrats took the chamber in 2019 and disputes ended up in court.

Background

Republicans currently hold the presidency and both chambers of Congress. (Donald Trump: Weißes Haus versucht Demokraten vor Untersuchungen einzuschüchtern – DER SPIEGEL) The shift in House control after the midterms gives Democrats new subpoena and oversight powers beginning in January.