The Washington Post Fix Analysis: A "READERS GUIDE" to future Trump investigations

[Jeffersons Ghost]

A reader’s guide: 12 targets as House Democrats prepare to investigate the Trump administration

Now that Democrats will control the House, they have free rein to launch as many investigations into President Trump and his administration as they would like...

Democrats understand that a significant message from voters was for them to provide a check on the Trump White House... but will do so strategically...

Here is a partial list of investigations Democrats claimed they would conduct, after taking control of the US House of Representatives.

Russian interference

Democrats will wait for Mueller’s report, but incoming House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) will look at how the past House probes into potential meddling was incomplete and fill in remaining gaps...

In an interview with the Fix, Schiff said that “it’s not my intention to sit by idly while we await Mueller.”

Schiff wrote in a Washington Post op-ed last month that his committee would address “allegations the Russians may possess financial leverage over the president, including perhaps the laundering of Russian money through his businesses.”

Matt Whitaker

If new acting attorney general Matthew G. Whitaker does not recuse himself from overseeing the Russia investigation because of his outspoken critiques of Mueller and the probe’s merits, and if Whitaker is still in the position by the time the new Congress convenes, House Democrats are prepared to investigate his conflicts of interest...

Hush money

The House Oversight Committee plans to investigate Trump’s role in paying Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, who alleged they had affairs with him, to stay quiet before the 2016 election...

Tax returns

Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.), who will take over the gavel of the powerful tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said that if Trump does not voluntarily release his tax returns, Neal will file a legal request with the Treasury Department that they be released to a small group in Congress...

Emoluments clause

There are already two lawsuits underway alleging Trump has violated the emoluments clause in the Constitution by accepting payments from foreign governments via dignitaries staying at the Trump hotel in Washington. One of the lawsuits was brought by Democratic members of Congress...

Security clearances

Democrats want to know how certain individuals, such as Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and former staff secretary Rob Porter, were working at the highest level of the White House without security clearances. They will also probe Trump’s decision to revoke security clearances from John Brennan, the former Central Intelligence Agency director, and other Trump critics.

Media targeting

Schiff thinks Democrats should probe whether Trump used his office to try to punish companies associated with CNN and The Washington Post... “That’s a great threat to press freedom.”

Brett M. Kavanaugh

Representation Jerry Nadler (D) said he intends to use the power of his committee to investigate why the FBI did not do a more thorough job looking into the allegations of sexual misconduct made against Kavanaugh during his confirmation process. He also said that he would be examining “the process by which the FBI was stifled in its investigation by the White House.”

Family separations

There remain many unanswered questions about the White House’s “zero tolerance policy” at the border that resulted in the separations of thousands of children from their parents. Many children remain separated, and Cummings’s oversight panel intends to probe the lapses that occurred, both in how it is that children are still in government custody as well as reports that children were mistreated while in government care.

Health care

Nadler plans to launch an investigation into the Trump administration’s decision not to defend the Affordable Care Act against a lawsuit that, if successful, would bring down the entire law.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos

The Education and Workforce Committee under Democratic control are going to demand more answers from DeVos, who has largely avoided oversight of her work at the Education Department. Inside Higher Ed called her “one of the biggest losers of the midterm elections.”

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke

Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said he and his colleagues want the interior secretary to provide answers on several fronts. Last month, the Interior Department’s acting inspector general, Mary Kendall, referred that inquiry, which is examining whether Zinke used his office for personal gain, to the Justice Department.

“This is our check and balance, our constitutional obligation and our jurisdiction,” Grijalva said. “Us exercising our oversight and accountability responsibilities is not asking for a war with the administration.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/11/12/readers-guide-trump-administration-targets-house-democrats-are-preparing-investigate/?utm_term=.e87fda3ebfe5

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. One one thousandth of the lies and crimes and ANY democrat is already impeached.

Emoluments clause alone, impeachment would have started the day after inauguration of any Democrat had the business dealings the traitor has and didnt completely disengage from them.

ANY democrat is impeached the day after Helsinki, I could go on for hours.

[dalton99a]

2. +1

[Jeffersons Ghost]

4. what does "ANY Democrat is already impeached" mean?

[TexasProgresive]

6. I understood this to mean that for one 1,000 of this amount of lies from this admin

a democrat would've been impeached by a rePuklian congress.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

7. Perhaps you are correct; but the leading sentence of the reply is confussing...

I appreciate your comment; but only the author of the reply can convincingly clarify the remark.

[TexasProgresive]

8. Maybe but it was perfectly clear to me.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

12. ok for me to say, "me too" in this context?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

16. absolutly! You are both probably correct...

Right after I read the reply headline - in question - I noticed a minor syntax error in the Opening Post and made an "unexplained edit," which distracted me from thoroughly evaluating the entire reply.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

13. I have a few unrelated questions for you:

Do you still live in Texas?

Does Texas still have some of the toughest laws against marijuana in the nation?

Do you know that - right next door to Texas - medical marijuana is legal; and possession of under on ounce of marijuana is decriminalized in Albuquerque?

Did you read that our newly elected Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) of New Mexico, said, although she would not introduce legislation to legalize recreational marijuana, she would sign the bill into law if our state-congress passed the bill to her desk. Our previous Governor Susana Martinez (R) vetoed similar legislation after it was introduced and passed by our previous state legislators. Currently Grisham is focused on improving our educational system, which Martinez promised to do if she became Governor of New Mexico. Right now, we are ranked near the bottom of the list of states, in the USA, in education. If you want to see the BLUE WAVE at work, watch New Mexico grow!

[TexasProgresive]

20. I still live in Texas

As far as pot laws I really don't know how we compare to other states. Congratulations on your new governor. How did NM get a R governor? And a Latina at that.

[empedocles]

3. Looks like a good start

[Jeffersons Ghost]

17. According to the Washington Post, these investigations would begin in January!

I'll attempt to keep readers updated, after I bookmark this thread.

[empedocles]

19. The Commitees staffers have been preparing since at least the election. New applicants have been

prepping since the election. New hiring has been going on for weeks. From the looks of cable news panelists, etc., these are career opportunities. The investigations have been, as a practical matter, been underway for awhile.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

21. No matter what; and earlier reply by JG, which involves letter and email writing will take place...

Time for a hold their feet to the fire on above mentioned investigations will ensue.

[Stuart G]

5. This is our responsibility. Just like in Watergate.

Grijalva is correct. The republicans know that we are doing the correct thing. It is so simple, because it is obvious that Mr. Trump is a crook. (an arrogant crook who thinks he can get away with it) It is who he is/, it is who he was/, and it is who he will always be.."a crook" Mueller will get all the crooks in this one.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

23. If he doesn't get them it looks like Congress will...

Isn't the Mueller investigation limited to Teflon Don?

[malaise]

9. Bookmarked

Thanks
Rec

[Stinky The Clown]

10. The most (second most?) important investigation is that into the whole Kavanaugh thing.

Brett M. Kavanaugh

Representation Jerry Nadler (D) said he intends to use the power of his committee to investigate why the FBI did not do a more thorough job looking into the allegations of sexual misconduct made against Kavanaugh during his confirmation process. He also said that he would be examining “the process by which the FBI was stifled in its investigation by the White

I'd like to think his appointment could be overturned (via impeachment) at some point when we also have the Senate.

[Qutzupalotl]

14. I hope a Nadler constituent asks him to investigate Kavanaugh's debts.

He owed a couple hundred grand in gambling debts. Someone paid them off right before the nomination. Who?

Is Justice Kavanaugh now compromised or indebted to his benefactor?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. and the crowd is getting restless

Get the show on the road. I've seen people flickin' their Bics, and not just in the cheap seats.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

15. If reader recommendations provide impressive numbers on this thread, I'll send letters to Cogress...

I'll send LOTS of letters, because this news article came from promises made to voters, before Democrats took control of the House of Representatives.

[mcar]

18. Very helpful. Thanks. NT

[Cha]

22. KR!