The White House said on Wednesday that it’s preparing to probe Democrats in connection with their efforts to conduct oversight of the executive branch, claiming that subpoenas and other investigative tools could “cross the line into blatant criminality.”
In a letter to incoming House Oversight Committee Chair Robert Garcia (D-California), White House Counsel Will Scharf cautioned that Democrats cannot investigate Trump administration officials “for the personal aggrandizement of the investigators.”
Congressional members have also recently made public statements inferring they’ll issue subpoenas to “harass, threaten and deter dedicated members of the Administration from further service,” the letter, obtained by The Washington Sun, says.
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As evidence of Garcia’s ill intentions as Oversight chair, Scharf cited recent public statements made by the California Democrat instructing Trump administration officials to “lawyer up” and a recent interview in which he admitted to being at least partially motivated by spite.
“Maybe it’s because I’m gay, but pettiness is a thing,” Garcia said during an appearance at Crooked Con in Washington, D.C., last week.
The letter, first reported by Punchbowl News, is a sharp rebuke from the Trump administration, indicating it does not plan to cooperate with Democratic-led investigations and setting up two years of legal battles as Democrats pledge to probe the president and those around him for alleged corruption and mishandling of executive authority.
In a written statement responding to the letter, Garcia said, “It appears Donald Trump has something to hide.”
“The Trump administration continues to weaponize the government with threats of unconstitutional attacks on Congress,” the statement continued. “We are a co-equal branch of government and will not be deterred by baseless threats from a weaponized DOJ or from the president’s lawyers.”
Rep. Stephen Lynch, another Democratic member of the Oversight Committee, also had a message for administration officials looking to open counter investigations against members of the panel: “Come at me, bro.”
Riding high off a historic midterm victory that saw Democrats flip a number of Republican districts en route to reclaiming the House and Senate, lawmakers immediately vowed to investigate what they characterized as the excesses of the Trump administration.
Rep.-elect Analilia Mejia (D-New Jersey) wrote on X: “We’re going to toss out subpoenas like Mardi Gras beads.”
And Texas Rep.-elect Katy Padilla Stout wrote: “Lawyer up, clear your schedules, & put some makeup on for the cameras.”
Scharf, however, said issuing subpoenas with the intention of depriving Trump officials of their constitutional rights and privileges may warrant counter investigations.
“Congressional investigations must further a legitimate legislative task; Congress cannot employ them to exercise powers of criminal prosecution assigned to the Executive and the Judiciary,” he wrote.
Scharf began serving as White House counsel this year. He was previously an assistant to the president and a staff secretary. Prior to joining the White House, he ran for Missouri attorney general and was an assistant U.S. attorney at the Justice Department.
Democrats have a long list of investigations they’re likely to pursue in the new Congress, including accusations of corruption by President Donald Trump and his family members, alleged abuse and misconduct by immigration officials, and the potential misuse of executive power.
In an August letter to donors, Garcia said as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, he’ll compel testimony from the president’s family and advisers.
“If Democrats win back the House, I’ll become Chairman — and I’ll have subpoena power,” he wrote. “The power to subpoena Trump’s family, Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Todd Blanche, and everyone involved in the Epstein files.”
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