WASHINGTON- The top White House lawyer is raising the possibility of criminal investigations into House Democrats, arguing that investigations they plan to launch into President Trump and administration officials could themselves break the law.
Will Scharf, the White House counsel, issued the warning in a letter dated Monday to Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), who is set to lead the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform when Democrats take control of the chamber in January.
“We are monitoring the abusive and capricious threats that are now proliferating from Democratic lawmakers who seek to abuse the legislative process to intimidate and interfere with the lawful operation of government,” Scharf wrote.
Scharf cited recent statements by Democrats in news reports about their intention to investigate alleged corrupt practices by administration officials, and wrote that Congress must “identify a legitimate purpose underlying its investigative actions.” Otherwise, he argued, “a process designed simply to abuse or instill fear in the recipient could cross the line into blatant criminality.”
“And issuing illegal subpoenas with the intent to deprive citizens of their constitutional rights and privileges could warrant further investigation,” he wrote.
The letter marks a sharp escalation in the administration’s stance toward Congress, which will soon be under Democratic control after the midterm elections. Rather than opposing congressional investigations once they begin, the White House acts preemptively, threatening investigators before they even take control of the House.
It’s an effort to set up a showdown between the surveillance powers of Congress and the White House that could define the final two years of Trump’s term.
Garcia had not received the letter as of Wednesday morning, a person familiar with the matter told the Times, adding that Democrats learned of it through news reports. The letter was first reported by Punchbowl News.
In a statement, Garcia argued that the White House’s threats were an attempt to undermine the committee’s constitutionally protected right to exercise oversight over Congress.
“It looks like Donald Trump has something to hide,” Garcia said. “Let us be clear: Congress’s authority comes from Article I of the Constitution, not authorization from the White House. Congress has broad latitude to conduct investigations and oversight, an authority inherent in the power to legislate.”
He added: “We are a co-equal branch of government and will not be deterred by baseless threats from an armed Justice Department or the president’s lawyers. »
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Gn usa
