The Democrats failed big time in their bid to take the Senate but were able to successfully wrestle the House from Republicans’ hands after losing it in dramatic fashion back in 2010. So, what will the Democrats — whether led by old guard Nancy Pelosi or someone with a little less baggage — do with that much-coveted power once they take over in 2019?
Axios has helpfully provided a complete “Democratic hit list” of potential Trump investigation targets — and its remarkably, though unsurprisingly, long. The ever-growing list now includes 85 potential targets Democrats have signaled at some point over the last two years that they plan to direct their resources to investigate should they have the chance. Well, now they have the chance, so undoubtedly they are beginning the process of determining which of the following to pursue first.
The list includes those cited in a document obtained by Axios back in August that reportedly originated in a senior Republican’s office and outlined a number of issues for which Republicans have been “scrambling” in preparation for Democrat-led investigations. Here’s the list of 18 targets Axios’ Jonathan Swan initially provided:
- President Trump’s tax returns
- Trump family businesses — and whether they comply with the Constitution’s emoluments clause, including the Chinese trademark grant to the Trump Organization
- Trump’s dealings with Russia, including the president’s preparation for his meeting with Vladimir Putin
- The payment to Stephanie Clifford — a.k.a. Stormy Daniels
- James Comey’s firing
- Trump’s firing of U.S. attorneys
- Trump’s proposed transgender ban for the military
- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s business dealings
- White House staff’s personal email use
- Cabinet secretary travel, office expenses, and other misused perks
- Discussion of classified information at Mar-a-Lago
- Jared Kushner’s ethics law compliance
- Dismissal of members of the EPA board of scientific counselors
- The travel ban
- Family separation policy
- Hurricane response in Puerto Rico
- Election security and hacking attempts
- White House security clearances
The spreadsheet “catalogs more than 100 formal requests from House Democrats this Congress, spanning nearly every committee,” Swan reported at the time. “The spreadsheet includes requests for administration officials to be grilled by committee staff, requests for hearings to obtain sworn testimony, efforts to seize communications about controversial policies and personnel decisions, and subpoena threats.”
In a follow-up report published Monday, Axios’ Zachary Basu notes that as of September the House Oversight Committee had already blocked 64 subpoena requests submitted by Democrats. He then provided a list of the 59 subpoena requests related to the Trump administration, as well as 20+ other potential targets. Below are some of the biggest of the potential targets listed by Basu, including several blocked subpoena requests (reformatted and re-ordered, see the full list here, links provided by Basu):
- The findings so far of the Mueller investigation, which some House Democrats believe had been obstructed by prior House Intel leaders.
- Trump’s involvement in hush payments to women alleging affairs.
- The firing of Jeff Sessions and the appointment of Matt Whitaker as acting Attorney General.
- The White House’s alleged stifling of the FBI investigation into sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.
- Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services Withholding Documents on Trump Administration Child Separation Policy
- Department of Veterans Affairs Withholding Documents Relating to Reports that Mar-a-Lago Members Influencing Department Decisions
- White House Withholding Documents on Revocation of John Brennan Security Clearance
- State Department Withholding Documents on Retaliation
- Director of National Intelligence Testifying Before the Oversight Committee on the extent of the Russian Threat to Our Country and Our Elections.
- Department of Justice Withholding Documents About Refusal to Defend the Affordable Care Act in Court
- White House Withholding Documents on Contractor Wanted for Attempted Murder
- State Department Withholding Documents on Political Loyalty Lists
- Steve Bannon Testifying Before the Oversight and Judiciary Committees About His Involvement with Law Enforcement Actions Before, During, and After the 2016 Election
- White House Withholding Documents on Use of Private Email Accounts
- White House Withholding Documents on Security Clearances
- Jared Kushner for Testimony at Emergency Hearing on Conflicts of Interest and Security Clearances
- Trump Organization Withholding Documents on Foreign Payments
- DHS Withholding Documents on Russian Attacks Against States Before Election
- DHS Withholding Information from IG Report on Trump Muslim Ban
- Kushner Withholding Emails That Violate Presidential Records Act
- White House Withholding Documents on Security Clearance Suspensions
- Transition Team and DOJ Withholding Flynn, Jr.’s Security Clearance Documents
- Flynn and Business Partners Withholding Documents on Middle East Nuclear Deal
- White House Withholding Documents on Flynn’s Foreign Contacts
- White House Withholding Documents on Personal Email Use by Top Aides
- Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Withholding Documents on Emails
- Kushner Companies Withholding Documents on Alleged Housing Abuses