In response to investigations proposed by the incoming Democrats in Congress of the various Trump construction projects, including his ballroom, the Trump administration is threatening to prosecute Congressman who look into his dodgy building projects.
While the Trump might have some success, particularly under this Supreme Court, quashing a Congressional inquiry, it is literally unconstitutional to prosecute members of Congress, as this activity falls firmly under the Constitution's immunity for Congressional speech and debate.
It's a lame punk-ass move by a lame punk-ass DoJ.
The Trump regime is escalating its attacks on congressional Democrats preparing for sweeping oversight hearings. That tells us a lot about what’s keeping Trump and his cronies up at night.
On Saturday, Donald Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate congressional Democrats over their recent promises to investigate him. On Sunday, Attorney General Todd Blanche went on CNN and declined to rule out prosecution. Asked whether the Democrats’ statements amounted to a crime, he said, “It depends on what’s said,” indicating there “could be” one.
By Monday, the regime had put its warning in writing. In a three-page letter to Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee, White House counsel Will Scharf warned that Democrats’ plans “may cross the line into blatant criminality.”
Just one teeny problem. The passage raising criminality cites no criminal precedent. The two Supreme Court decisions Scharf relies on, Watkins v. United States and Trump v. Mazars, aren’t criminal cases at all. They set limits on congressional subpoenas; they didn’t make issuing or threatening them illegal.
And for you constitutional nerds, Scharf never addresses that pesky Speech or Debate Clause, the constitutional provision that actually shields lawmakers from prosecution by the executive branch for their legislative acts.
Garcia's response has been to tell Trump and his minions to go Cheney themselves.
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