Trump White House threatens Democrats on way to Congress: ‘Blatant criminality’

Donald Trump’s administration is bracing for investigations from the incoming Democratic-led Congress after massive Republican losses in the midterm elections.And the White House is already lashing out — threatening criminal investigations of its own via the Department of Justice.The president’s top White House lawyer told the top Democrat on the influential House Oversight Committee that Democrats’ public promises to investigate the Trump administration amount to “abusive and capricious threats” and their upcoming probes “may cross the line into blatant criminality.”In his letter to Rep. Robert Garcia, White House counsel Peter Scharf cited statements from Democratic lawmakers who have pledged to issue subpoenas, hold congressional hearings and potentially prosecute administration officials and Trump allies — actions that Scharf claims are an illegitimate use of their congressional authority and only “designed to deter them from public service” or to “instill fear.”Scharf also targeted what he called Garcia’s own “shocking” statements that “exhibit all of these malicious and improper features” — including a social media post telling administration officials to “LAWYER UP” and another that “compared yourself to a demonic clown.” In a post on X earlier this month, Garcia wrote “when they go low this is me” alongside a photo of Pennywise the clown in a gutter.White House counsel Peter Scharf, left, told the incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee that Democrats’ plans to investigate Trump administration officials could amount to ‘blatant criminality’ (Getty)“Compulsory process is a power Congress has for oversight functions, and only for oversight functions,” Scharf wrote.“Abusive threats and public statements about the indiscriminate issuance of subpoenas, along with threats directed at prospective targets within the Administration make it abundantly clear that any forthcoming investigative processes will be deployed to harass and aggrandize, rather than to advance any legitimate legislative end,” he added.Garcia — who is set to chair the influential committee, which has been immersed in a months-long investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates — said in response that “it appears Donald Trump has something to hide.”“Let’s be clear: Congress’ authority comes from Article I of the Constitution, not from the permission of the White House,” he said in a statement Wednesday.“Congress has wide latitude to conduct investigations and oversight, an authority inherent in the power to legislate,” he added.Trump has repeatedly accused previous Democratic administrations of “weaponizing” the Department of Justice to investigate the president and his allies, an effort that fueled Trump’s 2024 campaign with promises of “retribution” for his supporters.Democrats have a long list of targets when they return to Congress, including investigations into Trump’s taxpayer-funded renovation projects and money-making ventures while in office (AFP/Getty)At the center of the White House letter is a requirement that congressional subpoenas serve a clear “legislative purpose,” but federal courts have largely deferred to congressional committees when it comes to their function, while the Trump administration and Republican members of Congress have launched a series of investigations of their own into the president’s enemies.Trump’s own “weaponized” attempts to prosecute his opponents have been condemned by Democratic officials or tossed out by federal judges as baseless, politically motivated attempts to crush dissent and punish his critics.After impeaching Trump twice during his first administration, the incoming Democratic House leadership is now carefully plotting a legal strategy to rein in the president in his remaining years in office.Democrats will return to Congress with a long list of targets, from the president’s money-making schemes in office and his use of taxpayer dollars for renovation projects to his nearly year-long Iran war and aggressive immigration enforcement.Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to be named Speaker of the House when the new Congress is sworn into office in January, will be tasked with naming the chamber’s top lawyer to take on the administration — and whether to lead Democrats into yet another impeachment fight.Rep. Jamie Raskin, who is expected to lead the powerful House Judiciary Committee in January, told Politico that “there are some impressive and road-tested lawyers for the people who have surfaced over the last couple of years.”“We need lawyers who are ready and willing to go and fight, people who have devoted their lives to the Constitution,” he said. “We’re going to stand up for Congress against both the executive branch and the Supreme Court.”The results of midterm elections have shown that “the American people voted overwhelmingly for us to pass laws to root out corruption and abuse,” Garcia said in a statement Wednesday.“The Trump Administration continues to weaponize the government with threats of unconstitutional attacks on Congress,” Garcia added. “We are a co-equal branch of government and will not be deterred by baseless threats from a weaponized DOJ or from the President’s lawyers.”