Dems plan probes into companies, colleges that cooperated with Trump
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House and Senate Democrats are starting to have preliminary discussions to coordinate potential congressional investigations into companies, colleges and law firms in the next Congress, multiple sources told Axios.
Why it matters: The early strategizing on how Democrats plan to use the investigative power of committees, including subpoenas, is another indication of the party's growing confidence of victory in November.
- Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), all on the Senate Judiciary Committee, have been involved in the planning discussions on the Senate side.
- Schiff, the lead manager for President Trump's first impeachment, would bring significant experience to any Senate investigation.
What we're hearing: Lawmakers in both parties believe the House is more likely to fall into Democratic hands than the Senate.
- The House also has some institutional advantages, including broader subpoena authority.
Zoom out: Democrats expect the White House to either stonewall or grandstand in any investigations. They also anticipate Trump officials invoking executive privilege at every turn.
- But companies, colleges and private citizens won't have that luxury — especially when faced with congressional subpoenas.
- Democrats want to know how and why major institutions — including billionaires, major law firms and universities — chose to cooperate with the Trump administration, according to people familiar with the conversations.
- That could include everything from donations for the East Wing renovation to funding agreements involving universities.
Zoom in: Democrats in both chambers have already signaled where their investigative interests could lie if they flip the House or Senate.
- A Schiff spokesperson pointed to a batch of FOIA requests the California Democrat filed late last year to the DOJ, which sought information on 12 topics. These included Jeffry Epstein's bank records and Trump accepting a Qatari plane as a gift. Schiff filed those requests with Whitehouse and Blumenthal to break the administration's "stonewalling."
- This month, House and Senate Democrats requested information from a major law firm that agreed to provide pro bono legal services to the Trump administration.
- Senate Democrats last year questioned a fundraiser and lobbyists who were reportedly soliciting donations from major corporations and billionaires for Trump's proposed ballroom.
- And a group of House and Senate Democrats last summer questioned Harvard about its communications with the administration amid escalating tensions with Trump, Axios previously reported.
Between the lines: These conversations are happening even though neither chamber is guaranteed to flip.
The intrigue: There's a difference between investigations and impeachments.
- Despite efforts from party leaders to tamp down the idea, talk of impeachment is likely to bubble up again. House Democrats have already introduced impeachment resolutions against Trump officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The bottom line: Companies are already bracing for congressional investigations if one or both chambers flip.
- And Democrats in both the House and Senate want a piece of the action.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from a spokesperson for Rep. Adam Schiff.
