Nov. 11 (UPI) — White House officials have threatened Democrats with criminal investigation over upcoming oversight probes into the Trump administration, saying the plans may “cross the line into blatant criminality.”
In a letter to Rep. Robert Garcia, the incoming House Oversight Committee chairman, Trump administration lead lawyer Will Scharf wrote that Democrats’ promises to investigate President Donald Trump and his administration may be illegal — and threatened to investigate the investigators if those promises are carried out.
The White House “is monitoring the abusive and capricious threats that are now proliferating from Democrat legislators who seek to abuse the legislative process to intimidate and to interfere with the lawful functioning of government,” Scharf wrote in the letter, which was released Wednesday.
Democratic promises “make it abundantly clear that any forthcoming investigative processes will be deployed to harass and aggrandize,” Scharf wrote. He said subpoenas “designed merely to abuse or instill fear in the recipient” may be criminal acts and that “issuing unlawful subpoenas with the intention of depriving citizens of their constitutional rights and privileges” may be investigated by the administration.
Garcia issued a statement Wednesday in response.
“It appears Donald Trump has something to hide,” he said in a social media post. “Let’s be clear: Congress’ authority comes from Article I of the Constitution, not from the permission of the White House.”
Congress has “wide latitude” to investigate and conduct oversight on the executive branch, Garcia said, “an authority inherent in the ability to legislature.”
“The American people voted overwhelmingly for us to pass laws to root out corruption and abuse,” Garcia said. “The Trump Administration continues to weaponize the government with threats of unconstitutional attacks on Congress. We are a co-equal branch of government and will not be deterred by baseless threats from a weaponized [Department of Justice] or from the President’s lawyers.”
Democrats won majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate in last week’s midterm elections.
It’s a crime to obstruct congressional investigations. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who is set to serve as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he told Garcia that he would be within his rights to seek a restraining order based on the letter and other statements from White House officials, The Hill reported.
“Threatening criminal prosecution of people for engaging in First Amendment activity is itself a legally actionable offense,” Raskin said.
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