Democrats in US Congress announce investigation into Trump and his family

New opposition strategy after shift in balance of power

Following the midterm elections held on Tuesday, the Democratic Party gained control of both chambers of the US Congress. This change in the political landscape allows the opposition to move to active action: Democrats are preparing to initiate investigations into the administration of President Donald Trump and members of his family. The main basis for such steps is cited as potential corrupt acts and abuse of authority.

The Financial Times newspaper reported on the legislators' plans, with its authors having spoken to lawyers.

Three key areas of review

According to the publication, corruption in the Trump administration was one of the important themes of the pre-election campaign. Now, Democrats plan to focus their efforts on three specific areas:

• the enrichment of Donald Trump's own family members;
• the government granting privileges to corporations that supported the Republican Party and the President's course;
• the adoption of political decisions in sectors such as housing affordability and other industries.

Statements from Democratic leaders

On Tuesday evening, Robert Garcia, who is likely to head the House Oversight Committee, publicly stated his readiness to begin investigative work.

«Юристам — готуватися» ("Lawyers — get ready"), he emphasised.

A similar stance was expressed by Ron Wyden, who is set to become the chair of the Senate Finance Committee. On social media, he published a post consisting of only one word: «Повістки» ("Subpoenas").

Reaction from legal circles

Christopher Armstrong, co-head of the congressional investigations group at law firm Holland & Knight, told the Financial Times that their clients are feeling anxious about the prospect of extensive reviews by the new Congress.

«Робота Конгресу наступного скликання буде присвячена суцільним розслідуванням і нагляду. Саме це непокоїть наших клієнтів» ("The work of the next Congress will be devoted to continuous investigations and oversight. This is what concerns our clients"), he noted.