Democrats Put Targets on Notice as Trump Oversight Takes Shape

Congressional Democrats have alerted more than 60 companies, individuals and agencies that they are potential targets of investigations into the Trump administration’s cuts to scientific research, rollback of environmental protections and pursuit of unorthodox business deals.

The letters reveal where Democrats, soon to be empowered with subpoena authority after their sweeping wins in last week’s elections, intend to focus as they examine some of the administration’s most unabashed deals and policy changes. The notices sent from top Democrats on two key House committees demand preservation of any documents that could be relevant to congressional oversight next year.

The attempt to dismantle one of the world’s leading climate and weather research institutions, a lucrative White House deal with a rare earths company and an organized campaign to delegitimize climate science ahead of a sweeping regulatory rollback are among the concerns related to letters sent by the House Science Committee Thursday morning and reviewed by The New York Times.

“This administration has engaged in an assault on the science enterprise in this country,” said Representative Zoe Lofgren, Democrat of California, who is expected to chair the House Science Committee next year. “There have been firings, coercing people to resign, impounding money and possible corruption.”

Democrats have been in the minority in both chambers of Congress for almost four years. Lawmakers said potential targets ignored previous requests for information related to the Trump administration because they lacked legal authority to compel a response. That changed with last week’s election.

“If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people,” Lauren Bis, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement.