Trump Organization Scrambling To Prepare For Scrutiny From House Democrats
A flurry of phone calls began at the Trump Organization after election night, as the company prepared itself from increased scrutiny from the now-Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, CNN reports.
One person at the Trump Organization told CNN in September that “the worst thing for the business would be a change of control in Congress.”
Well, the worst is happening, and the Trump Organization is scrambling to prepare for all sorts of potential problems. With the Democrats in control of Congress, the Trump Organization is facing multiple potential investigations, public hearings, and forced testimony.
After election night, top executives at the company instructed staff to preserve their records. The Trump Organization is also looking into hiring outside lawyers to help them combat subpoenas that may soon be issued.
The incoming Democrats will be sworn in and officially begin their duties in January, which gives the Trump Organization some time to do damage control. The organization is also managing two open investigations brought by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office. The investigations are looking into allegations of tax fraud, and searching for evidence that the organization violated campaign finance laws.
Saudi Arabia and the Trump Organization have business ties that may be influencing the president’s foreign policy decisions. Here’s just one example:https://t.co/48PXIgDfE8
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) November 21, 2018
The New York Attorney General’s office is also working on a civil suit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, a charitable organization. New New York Attorney General Tish James ran on a platform of aggressively going after Donald Trump.
Michael Cohen is the former VP of the Trump Organization. Cohen recently pled guilty to eight counts brought by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office. His sentencing is scheduled for December 12.
California Democrat Alan Garten, who is likely to become the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has said that he will make investigating money laundering a top priority for the committee.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are also planning to launch an investigation against Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, according to Fox News. They want to investigate her use of private email accounts to discuss official White House business, and whether or not she violated the Presidential Record Act.
“We launched a bipartisan investigation last year into White House officials’ use of private email accounts for official business, but the White House never gave us the information we requested,” said Maryland Democrat Representative Elijah Commings, the next chair of the Oversight Committee.
“We need those documents to ensure that Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and other officials are complying with federal records laws and there is a complete record of the activities of this Administration.”
