White House confronts Long Beach congressman over planned probes, claiming possible ‘criminality’

The White House has issued a warning to Democrats over their planned probes into the Trump administration, going as far as claiming that such investigations — a standard oversight function of Congress — may amount to “blatant criminality.” White House counsel Will Scharf issued the warning in a letter dated Monday to Long Beach’s congressman: Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Garcia most likely would chair the powerful panel in the new Democratic-controlled Congress that is seated in January. Garcia warned Trump officials to “lawyer up” as his party was on the way to stunning victories in last week’s midterm election. In response, Scharf wrote that “threats to executive branch officials designed to deter them from public service, or process designed merely to abuse or instill fear in the recipient may cross the line into blatant criminality.” The letter’s existence was first reported by Punchbowl News.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.