White House warns Democrats against criminality in Trump probes

The White House has issued a warning to Democratic lawmakers about potential investigations into the Trump administration, cautioning that aggressive oversight efforts may cross into criminal behavior, CBS News reported.

White House counsel Will Scharf sent a letter to Rep. Robert Garcia, the incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee, stating that some planned investigations "may cross the line into blatant criminality," according to CBS News and NBC News.

Scharf's letter, shared with NBC News, emphasized that congressional investigations must have a legitimate legislative purpose and warned that abusive threats or subpoenas intended to intimidate executive branch officials could lead to executive branch investigations.

The letter also accused Democrats of making "abusive and capricious threats" and suggested that indiscriminate subpoenas aimed at harassment rather than legitimate inquiry could violate constitutional rights, CBS News reported.

This exchange highlights the partisan tensions expected as the new Democratic-led Congress prepares to take office in January, with Democrats poised to investigate the Trump administration and the White House signaling strong resistance to those efforts.