Rep. Jamie Raskin is preparing to use the House Judiciary Committee’s expanded investigative powers to scrutinize major law firms and businesses that struck agreements or developed close relationships with President Donald Trump.
The Maryland Democrat, currently the committee’s ranking member, is expected to become Judiciary chairman when Democrats assume control of the House in January.
Democratic control will give Raskin something he lacked in the minority: authority to issue committee subpoenas and compel documents and testimony.
Raskin has indicated that law firms that reached agreements with Trump during his second term should expect substantially greater scrutiny.
“There are major law firms in America, including Paul Weiss, that have capitulated to these coercive tactics from Donald Trump and have basically surrendered and made all sorts of outrageous concessions,” Raskin said Wednesday.
Nine major law firms ultimately reached agreements with the Trump administration involving a combined $940 million in pledged pro bono legal services.
Those firms included Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden Arps, Milbank and several other major legal practices.
The agreements followed Trump administration actions targeting firms over their attorneys, clients or previous legal work.
Some firms negotiated settlements with the administration, while others challenged Trump’s executive orders in federal court.
Raskin has already been investigating the agreements alongside Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff.
The lawmakers have repeatedly demanded documents from Kirkland & Ellis concerning its $125 million pro bono commitment.
They sought information involving negotiations with the administration, communications with Trump attorney Boris Epshteyn and any legal services performed for federal agencies.
Kirkland disputed aspects of the lawmakers’ demands and asserted privilege over certain information.
Raskin and his Democratic colleagues accused the firm of failing to produce responsive documents and refusing to meet with congressional staff.
“Notwithstanding Kirkland’s lack of cooperation, we will use every tool at our disposal to pursue this investigation — in this Congress and the next,” the lawmakers warned in October.
Democrats’ midterm victories dramatically strengthened that threat.
Raskin could now use subpoenas to seek records that firms previously declined to provide voluntarily.
Bloomberg Law reported Democrats are considering renewed scrutiny of Kirkland and Skadden, among other firms.
The investigations are expected to extend beyond the legal industry.
Democrats are preparing potential inquiries involving corporations that developed business relationships with Trump, his administration or members of his family.
The Washington Post reported Friday that Apple, Meta and companies associated with Elon Musk are among potential early targets.
Separate Democratic proposals have identified technology companies, artificial intelligence firms, cryptocurrency businesses, private-prison operators and companies involved with Trump administration projects.
However, Raskin has disputed characterizations that Democrats simply intend to punish corporations that cooperated with Trump.
“We’re not targeting particular corporations,” Raskin told the Washington Sun while discussing Democratic preparations.
He said investigators instead intend to examine what he described as “systems and networks of corruption.”
Republicans and the White House have rejected Democratic allegations of corruption and characterized the emerging investigations as politically motivated attempts to target Trump and his allies.
The investigations could become a defining feature of the 120th Congress.
Democrats have separately discussed examining Trump family cryptocurrency ventures, presidential pardons, government contracts, immigration enforcement, the White House ballroom project and administration dealings with private companies.
The Associated Press reported Democratic leaders are preparing broad oversight while some members of the party have cautioned against allowing investigations to overshadow affordability and other voter concerns.
Corporate America is already preparing.
The Washington Post reported lawyers and executives are holding meetings about how companies should respond to congressional subpoenas and high-profile hearings.
Raskin’s Judiciary Committee could become one of the central engines of that effort.
After nearly two years of sending requests without majority authority behind them, Raskin and his fellow Democrats will soon possess substantially stronger investigative tools.
The result could mean months of document demands, subpoenas and televised hearings examining the relationships between Trump’s administration and some of the country’s most powerful legal and corporate institutions.
