Democrats move quickly to hire investigators after blue wave ‘lawyer up’ warning

Democrats have already begun seeking investigators and oversight counsel for congressional committees following a major election night sweep, as the party has promised to wield oversight power to target what they view as corruption in the Trump administration.House oversight committee ranking member Robert Garcia (D-CA) sent out a warning to President Donald Trump on Tuesday night to “lawyer up” after election results made clear Democrats had won control of both chambers of Congress. Other members of Congress quickly followed suit, warning of numerous subpoenas.By Wednesday, some committees began publishing job postings. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee posted three jobs less than 24 hours after the election, seeking counsel and investigators for the incoming chairman. One position is advertised as “counsel, anti-corruption” and would entail crafting “government ethics and anti-corruption legislation.” The posting notes that this role will include aiding in investigations.Another position posted Wednesday was advertised as “investigators and oversight counsel,” and the posting did not detail how many employees the committee is seeking.The committee is also looking for an adviser for “security and safety issues” related to artificial intelligence, as scrutiny of the technology is likely to be a key concern for Democrats in the coming months.Democrats are set to retake committee gavels come January, giving them subpoena power and opening the door to more aggressive oversight of the Trump administration. The Senate homeland security committee has one of the broadest investigative jurisdictions in Congress, with instances of waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, and mismanagement across the federal government all falling within the panel’s purview.The current ranking member of the committee is Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), who is retiring after his term expires in January. With Peters’s retirement, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) is next in line to take the gavel for Democrats, who will assume the majority. Hassan has already hinted at Democrats’ plans for the committee, particularly which Trump policies will be subject to scrutiny.JEFFRIES SAYS NOT ‘A SINGLE MEMBER’ HAS TALKED TO HIM ABOUT IMPEACHMENT“The new majorities in Congress must focus on affordability and accountability for the American people,” Hassan said. “We must use every tool at our disposal to rein in this President, end this illegal war in Iran, and reverse his tariffs. And as part of my new role on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, we will investigate and expose the corruption that is hurting taxpayers and Americans.”Hassan’s leadership would mark a significant change for a panel currently led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), possibly placing one of the Senate’s most powerful oversight tools in the hands of Democrats eager to investigate the Trump administration.