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Democrats would probe Trump family business deals if they win midterms, Reuters reports
Multiple Capitol Hill staffers, lawmakers and attorneys told Reuters that corporate donors to Trump's ballroom and participants in Trump family-brokered business deals would be among the first investigation targets if Democrats retake the House or Senate in November.
Why it matters
If Democrats win control of the House or Senate in November's midterm elections, they would gain subpoena power and funding to formally investigate the Trump family's two-year business expansion into crypto, drones, artificial intelligence and prediction markets — a period in which the president's personal wealth grew by an estimated $2.2 billion. The probes could dominate the second half of Trump's term and trigger lengthy legal battles.
Full report
WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) — Corporate donors to U.S. President Donald Trump's ballroom and participants in business deals brokered by Trump family members are expected to be among the first targets of investigations if Democrats take control of the House or Senate in November's midterm elections, multiple Capitol Hill staffers, lawmakers and attorneys told Reuters in recent days.
Control of either chamber would give Democrats subpoena power and funding to bolster investigative staff, enabling them to launch probes as early as February. "I don't think the Democrats are going to have patience. They're going to expect documents pretty quickly. You're not going to play the old run-out-the-clock game," said Ashley Callen, a lawyer with Jenner & Block who was previously general counsel to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters on September 17: "We're going to hold the crooks accountable, beginning on day one." Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut named Trump-linked crypto firms and Donald Trump Jr.'s venture capital firm, 1789 Capital, as particular interests. Raskin could become chair of the powerful Judiciary Committee if Democrats take the House.
Raskin also flagged deals by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner's private equity firm Affinity Partners with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as an "outrageous conflict of interest," and pointed to a $620 million Pentagon loan to rare-earth startup Vulcan Elements announced about three months after an investment by Don Jr.'s 1789 fund. Kushner's lawyer said the allegations are false; Vulcan said it never asked its investors to facilitate the loan.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said in an emailed statement to Reuters: "Democrats have no agenda to improve the lives of the American people, just plans to obstruct and baselessly target President Trump's commonsense agenda." Senator Adam Schiff warned companies not to delete any records related to transactions with the Trump administration: "We can make life very difficult for the administration if you abuse legitimate oversight requests of Congress."
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