(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Hong Jeong-gyu = If the U.S. Democratic Party wins the midterm elections in November, it is poised to launch a congressional-level investigation encompassing all the suspicions surrounding President Donald Trump and his administration.
The Democratic Party believes that it is possible to recapture the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate in this election. In this case, he will serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Standing Committee from January next year.
The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 12th (local time) that Democratic Party aides are preparing an investigation targeting President Trump in line with this 'majority scenario' and are also receiving external advice for an effective investigation.
Rep. Robert Garcia (Democrat, California), who is likely to become chairman of the House Oversight Committee if he wins the election, said, "There is so much corruption and fraudulent pursuit of profit that all Democratic members of the House of Representatives will have to step forward to properly investigate it."
At the center of the target is President Trump. Some are talking about pushing for impeachment, but realistically, the probability of success is not high. Therefore, the Democratic Party's strategy is to remove his power by digging into his suspicions of increasing his wealth and corruption.
The Democratic Party has been releasing data from the House Oversight Committee tracking the profits the Trump family has made through virtual currency and overseas transactions. It has been estimated that President Trump took in $2.25 billion (about 3 trillion won) in money received from overseas during the first year of his second term.
The House Judiciary Committee plans to look into allegations that companies invested by venture capital firms 1789 Capital and American Ventures, which are linked to President Trump's two sons (Trump Jr. and Eric Trump), received preferential treatment in receiving contracts from the Trump administration.
An agreement with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to protect the Trump family and companies from tax investigations, the sale of 'early access' to President Trump's social media platform Truth Social, and the business dealings of eldest son-in-law Jared Kushner were also included in the list of investigations.
The Democratic Party plans to investigate suspicions that not only President Trump's family, but also his supporters received various preferential treatment and interests, and how they were pardoned for the 'Capitol Riot' incident in January 2021.
Rep. Jared Huffman (Democrat, California), who is expected to be the next chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, recently mentioned the suspicion that the Trump administration paid a settlement of $1.2 billion to a German energy company in exchange for giving up its offshore wind power lease and demanded that the money be reinvested in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Louisiana owned by a donor to President Trump.
Rep. Huffman criticized Trump, saying, “Trump is using the settlement money like a slush fund,” and “This is a complete waste of taxpayers’ money.”
The House Foreign Affairs Committee highlights suspicions that Steve Witkoff and Kushner may have gained various benefits by intervening in Israel, Iran, and Ukraine issues through President Trump's 'secret diplomatic relations'.
The Democratic Party has pointed out as a subject of investigation a transaction in which investors linked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) purchased $500 million worth of shares in a virtual currency company run by President Trump and Witkoff's sons just before President Trump's inauguration last year.
Rep. Gregory Meeks (Democrat, New York), ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that Witkoff and Kushner, who are civilians with financial conflicts of interest, are at the forefront of diplomacy and said, "It's all Witkoff and Kushner. Who else is there besides them?"
The Democratic Party is also planning 'political retaliation' targeting former FBI Director James Comey, New York State Attorney General Ruthitia James, and Democratic lawmakers who released a video last November informing military personnel that they can refuse illegal orders.
In addition, the relationship between President Trump and the late Jeffrey Epstein, a sexual exploiter of minors, the construction of the White House ballroom in Washington, D.C., the construction of a reflecting pool, and the control of the Kennedy Center are expected to be investigated at the standing or special committee level.
WP reported that the White House, anticipating the Democratic Party's wave of attacks against President Trump, explained 'how to respond to congressional investigations' to political appointees of the administration through the Office of Legal Counsel.
