Kathrine Frich
Democrats are preparing a wave of subpoenas.
Winning an election is one thing, but using that new power is where the real fight begins.
In Washington, a shift in votes quickly turns yesterday’s critics into tomorrow’s investigators.
Now, both sides of the aisle are gearing up for a brutal war behind closed doors.
Hiring the lawyers
Fresh off winning majorities in both chambers of Congress, Democrats are preparing a wave of subpoenas aimed at President Donald Trump’s administration.
According to The Telegraph, lawmakers plan to probe Elon Musk’s work with the government, alleged corruption involving Trump’s family, and the president’s past links to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The night after the midterm landslide, Representative Robert Garcia, the Democrat expected to lead the House Oversight Committee, posted a blunt message on X: “HIRE A LAWYER.”
The administration appears to have taken that advice literally, bringing on 15 extra legal staffers to fight back, The Washington Post reported. In a November 9 letter published by Punchbowl News, White House counsel Will Scharf warned Garcia that Congress can only investigate for legislative reasons.
“I am writing to remind you of the fundamental limits the Constitution places on congressional investigations and subpoenas. Members of Congress have demonstrated a clear intent to exceed these powers,” Scharf wrote.
Targets in the cabinet
Garcia was unmoved by the warning. “It appears Donald Trump has something to hide,” he replied in a statement.
Beyond the White House, The Telegraph reported that Democrats have their sights on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. After Hegseth narrowly survived an impeachment push by Republican Thomas Massie on Tuesday, Democrats plan to question his inner circle in January over the “Signalgate” scandal, when he accidentally shared US military plans with a journalist.
Lawmakers also want to grill major bank bosses tied to Epstein and force the Justice Department to release uncensored files that Scotland Yard needs to pursue former British ambassador Lord Mandelson, according to The Telegraph.
The Epstein clash
Trump has long denied any wrongdoing connected to Epstein and says they fell out years ago. On Tuesday, senior Republicans backed him up with a 137-page report following a 15-month inquiry that found no evidence linking the president to Epstein’s crimes.
“Throughout the committee’s investigation, Democratic members of the committee were obsessed with implicating President Trump and suggesting he was involved in Epstein and Maxwell’s crimes. Their baseless witch hunt continued without regard for the interests of the victims,” the Republican report stated.
Democrats dismissed those findings and promised public hearings of their own. Garcia claimed the Justice Department is hiding over 2.5 million pages of records and noted that Attorney General Todd Blanche has still not testified on the matter.
