Read the letter the White House’s top lawyer sent Rep. Garcia over threats to investigate Trump

White House counsel William Scharf sent incoming House Oversight Committee chair Robert Garcia a warning that Democrats’ plans to investigate the Trump administration could exceed Congress’s constitutional limits and “cross the line into blatant criminality”. The dispute signals an early clash between the White House and the incoming Democratic-led House over oversight and accountability.

In a three-page letter, Scharf accused Democrats of making abusive threats against President Donald Trump and his administration. Garcia said voters had given Democrats a mandate to pursue accountability, pointing to rising household costs and the Trumps’ wealth, and vowed the committee would not be deterred by what he called baseless threats.