White House warns Democrats over Trump probes

The White House’s top lawyer has warned the House Democrats that their plans to investigate the administration of US President Donald Trump “may cross the line into blatant criminality.”

The dispute follows a pledge by the Democrats to launch a broad series of investigations into the Trump administration after winning control of the House of Representatives in last week’s midterm elections. The probes are expected to focus on alleged corruption, conflicts of interest, and abuses of power.

In a three-page letter issued on Wednesday to incoming House Oversight Committee chairman Robert Garcia, White House counsel Will Scharf argued that congressional investigations must remain within constitutional limits, adding that Garcia and members of the new Congress have “evinced a clear intent to transgress” them. The letter accuses Democrats of “abusive and capricious threats” against Trump and members of his administration.

Garcia pushed back, saying Congress has the constitutional authority to conduct oversight independently of the White House and will not be deterred by “baseless threats” from the administration or the Justice Department. He argued that voters gave the Democrats a mandate “to root out corruption and abuse.”

The latest exchange comes a week after Garcia issued a blunt warning of his own. On election night, after projections showed Democrats would take control of the House, he addressed the incoming Congress with a two-word message: “Lawyer up.”

Last week, Garcia also outlined several areas Democrats intend to investigate, including what he described as corruption within the Trump family, corporate misconduct, alleged abuses by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. He also intends to examine the Trump family’s business dealings, including cryptocurrency and mineral deals, as well as construction projects at the White House.

Commenting on the plans at the time, White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said Trump is willing to work with Democrats to deliver results for Americans, but warned that pursuing “sham investigations” and “radical-left policies” would mean acting “against the American people.”

Outgoing Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Trump critic, told AP on Wednesday that he hopes the Democrats focus on real issues rather than “stupid things” such as the Russiagate inquiry, an investigation based on debunked claims that Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. Massie, who recently lost his primary to a Trump-backed Republican challenger, said he believes there is “real corruption” involving the president and the people around him.