USAupdated 29m ago3 min read
Archive photo · 26 August 2011Robert Garcia Rejects White House Warning on Criminal Oversight Probes
“the suggestion of a congressional probe constituting criminality is not.”
“the Supreme Court has set an extraordinarily high bar for what constitutes a true threat under federal law.”
Photo: DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Garcia incoming House Oversight chair, vows to push investigations despite White House warning. White House counsel Will Scharf warned subpoenas could trigger criminal probes.
Save coverage image
Garcia to Chair Oversight
Rep. Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California, said he would not be deterred by a White House warning that some House Oversight investigations could be criminal, and he told NPR’s Morning Edition, "We're not going to be deterred, and we're certainly not going to be intimidated by Donald Trump or anyone in the administration."
White House counsel Will Scharf accused Democratic lawmakers in a letter dated Monday and made public Wednesday of making "abusive and capricious threats" to investigate the Trump administration, and he warned that threats against executive branch officials could cross into "blatant criminality."
Garcia said investigating alleged corruption involving President Trump's family would be a top priority, and he cited a $2 billion Saudi investment in a firm led by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Garcia also said Democrats would continue pursuing the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and he added, "I expect that the issue around impeachment hasn't ended," while he described the Oversight Committee as a body that can investigate and produce evidence.
The Folha de S.Paulo profile said Garcia was set to chair the House Oversight Committee starting in 2027, after Democrats won the majority in the election on November 3, and it described the committee as having power to investigate and summon authorities, issue subpoenas, and produce reports.
Scharf Letter and Pushback
White House counsel Will Scharf warned incoming House Oversight chair Robert Garcia that congressional subpoenas and investigative processes could be deployed "to harass and aggrandize, rather than to advance any legitimate legislative end." Garcia rejected the warning and told NBC News that "It appears Donald Trump has something to hide," while he said Congress’ authority comes from Article I of the Constitution, "not from the permission of the White House." Scharf’s letter also argued that threats to executive branch officials designed to deter them from public service, or process designed merely to abuse or instill fear, "may cross the line into blatant criminality," and it cited Supreme Court rulings about tying investigations to legitimate legislative purposes.
Garcia told reporters on Wednesday that it would not "stop the important work," and he said Democrats would press ahead with investigations despite the White House counsel’s warning. The New York Times said Scharf’s letter warned aggressive oversight "may cross the line into blatant criminality," and it described the warning as legally dubious.
What Oversight Could Target
Garcia said Democrats would investigate alleged corruption involving President Trump’s family, and he pointed to a $2 billion Saudi investment in a firm led by Jared Kushner. Garcia also called for investigations into former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former DHS adviser Corey Lewandowski over reported possible pay-to-play schemes, and he said Democrats would continue pursuing impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Hill reported that Garcia warned newly appointed White House chief of staff Stephen Miller that he "should be preserving documents," and Garcia said the chief of staff "is not someone that should be leading anything in the White House."
The Folha de S.Paulo profile said Garcia’s first public statements after the elections included priorities for investigations involving the president, including potential corruption cases involving the Trump family and the president’s relationship with the billionaire sexual criminal Jeffrey Epstein. The New Republic said White House counsel Will Scharf threatened to prosecute Garcia and members of Congress for issuing what he described as "unlawful" subpoenas, and it argued that legislative immunity applies to members of Congress for speech or debate in either house.