U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), who is set to assume the chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee in January after Democrats secured the House majority in the midterm elections, has outlined plans to investigate private businesses and law firms that “collaborated” with the Trump Administration.
While speaking with MS NOW host Nicolle Wallace following the results, Raskin stated that Democrats “will not hesitate to go after the private corporations that are collaborating in all of the lawlessness with Donald Trump. We’ve done it before, and we will absolutely do it again.”
Raskin specified that the focus would include law firms that entered deals following executive orders issued early in President Donald Trump’s second term. Those orders had targeted firms over their representation of certain clients and personnel decisions. In response, multiple firms agreed to provide free legal services aligned with administration priorities, modify diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, and make other concessions.
“The law firms that you mentioned, we know that there were many heroic law firms that have stood up against all of the lawbreaking and then the attempt to shake them down for the time of their partners and of their young associates, and yet there are major law firms in America, including Paul Weiss, that have capitulated to these coercive tactics by Donald Trump and have basically surrendered and made all kinds of outrageous concessions,” Raskin said.
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He added that his office and colleagues had already “sent a number of letters to those law firms, and they have been not forthcoming up until now. But when we have the power of subpoena, and we have the power to conduct oversight, we believe a lot of these law firms are going to be coming forward and telling the truth. Otherwise, they are law firms that have no respect for the rule of law, and we’re going to make sure that they comply with the federal subpoena; it is the exact same legal force as a judicial subpoena does. Subpoena means ‘under the power’ or ‘under the penalty of law.’”
Prior letters sent by the Democratic minority on the committee had been sent to firms including Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden Arps, Paul Weiss, A&O Shearman, Cadwalader, Latham & Watkins, and Simpson Thacher. Nine firms collectively pledged roughly $940 million in pro bono work under the arrangements.
With subpoena authority, the Judiciary Committee can compel documents and testimony that minority requests could not.
Raskin has also indicated that Attorney General Todd Blanche could face impeachment proceedings, describing the Justice Department under Blanche as a “Department of Injustice — an instrument of revenge, political revenge for the president.” He has stated that Blanche has acted primarily as “a personal criminal defense attorney to Donald Trump.”
The congressman has also hinted at the possibility of a third round of impeachment proceedings targeting President Trump. “We’re not afraid to impeach Donald Trump. We’ve done it twice,” he said following the results. He earlier stated that, “Impeachment is not a taboo with us. It’s not a fetish with us… It is a tool in the toolbox. We will not hesitate to use it if we need to use it.”
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
