The U.S. Democratic Party has begun preparing to launch a full-scale investigation into President Donald Trump, his family, and his inner circle as soon as it wins back the House majority in the midterm elections in November.
On the 12th, according to the Washington Post (WP), Democratic aides are drawing up congressional investigation plans on the assumption of a midterm victory and seeking advice from outside experts.
Democrats believe they could regain not only the House but also the Senate majority in this election. If they win the House, starting in January next year they would take the speaker's gavel and chair the standing committees, exercising strong investigative powers such as issuing subpoenas and demanding documents.
Robert Garcia, a Democratic lawmaker mentioned as the next House Oversight Committee chair, said, "Because there is so much corruption and fraudulent influence-peddling, it will take the entire Democratic caucus in the House to investigate this properly."
At the heart of the probe is how President Trump and his family amassed their wealth. Democrats have been tracking the revenue the Trump family earned from virtual assets and overseas transactions through the House Oversight Committee. They also estimated that in the first year of Trump's second term, he made $2.25 billion from money received overseas.
The House Judiciary Committee plans to look into the venture capital firms "1789 Capital" and "American Ventures," linked to Trump's two sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. The plan is to investigate allegations that corporations those firms invested in received preferential treatment while securing government contracts under the Trump administration.
Also on the list are the agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intended to shield Trump family–related corporations from tax audits, the "early access" sold by Trump's social media platform Truth Social, and son-in-law Jared Kushner's business transactions.
Allegations that Trump supporters received various favors and benefits are also under investigation. Democrats also plan to examine how participants in the Jan. 2021 Capitol riot were pardoned.
Jared Huffman, a Democratic lawmaker seen as the leading candidate to chair the next House Natural Resources Committee, raised allegations that the Trump administration paid a $1.2 billion settlement to a German energy corporation in exchange for relinquishing offshore wind leases. He alleged the administration demanded that the corporation reinvest the money in a Louisiana liquefied natural gas (LNG) project owned by a Trump donor.
Huffman said, "Trump is using the settlement funds like a slush fund," adding, "This is a complete waste of taxpayer money."
The House Foreign Affairs Committee plans to investigate whether Steve Witkoff and Kushner effectively acted as President Trump's unofficial diplomats to secure benefits. The two have been involved in issues related to Israel, Iran, and Ukraine.
Democrats identified as a subject of investigation a transaction in which investors linked to the UAE bought $500 million worth of equity in a virtual asset company run by the sons of Trump and Witkoff just before Trump's inauguration last year.
Gregory Meeks, the Democratic ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that private citizens Witkoff and Kushner, who may have financial conflicts of interest, are on the front lines of diplomacy, adding, "It's all Witkoff and Kushner. Who else is there besides them?"
There are also plans to investigate allegations that the Trump administration used law enforcement and government powers to target political opponents. Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Democratic lawmakers who released a video informing service members they could refuse unlawful orders are among those to be investigated.
In addition, the relationship between President Trump and convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the construction of a new White House banquet hall and work on the Washington, D.C., Reflecting Pool, and the process of consolidating control over the Kennedy Center are likely to become subjects of investigation at the standing or special committee level.
Some have raised the possibility of pursuing impeachment, but observers say the chances of it actually succeeding are slim. For now, Democrats plan to use congressional investigations to bring intense attention to the corruption allegations surrounding President Trump.
The Trump administration is also preparing for the Democrats' offensive. The WP reported that the White House Counsel's Office briefed political appointees on how to respond to congressional investigations.