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Democrats’ push to investigate Trump won’t stop when he leaves office
(CNN)Democrats in Congress are still intent on investigating President Donald Trump and his administration after he leaves office, including a pursuit of Trump’s tax returns, a drive that threatens to complicate President-elect Joe Biden’s pledges of bipartisan unity since he won the election.Democratic lawmakers and aides tell CNN they don’t intend to delve into all of Trump’s personal scandals once Biden is in the White House, in a nod to the President-elect’s desire to move forward. But they argue they have an obligation to scrutinize the actions of Trump and his administration that they charge violated constitutional norms and eroded the separation of powers – particularly in areas that can help efforts to pass legislative reforms to curb the powers of future presidents.
Democrats also have multiple lawsuits being waged against Trump in the courts – including efforts to obtain Trump’s tax returns, key financial documents, testimony from a former White House counsel and grand jury material from the Mueller report – which they say will continue into the new Congress.
“I would want to investigate things that are profoundly damaging to our system of government and are capable of repetition by a future executive or administration,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees. “Trump paying off mistresses or engaging in real estate fraud in New York – that doesn’t really implicate a federal interest. But then we have the whole series of actions by Trump and his administration that shake the foundations of our government to the core.”
Democrats say specific decisions about investigations next year have not yet been made.
But any oversight of the soon-to-be-former President will pose a challenging balancing act for both House Democrats and Biden, with Republicans sure to point to any Trump probes as evidence that the Democrats’ promises to reach across the aisle are hollow. The potential for Trump to run again in 2024 will also factor into Democrats’ calculations.