Donald Trump’s family business empire could be facing a very different Washington if Democrats take control of Congress in November.
According to lawmakers, congressional aides and legal experts cited in recent reporting, Democrats are preparing to use the investigative powers of Congress to scrutinize Trump’s family, business partners and companies tied to the president’s sprawling commercial interests.
And subpoenas will be at the center of that effort.
A Democratic majority would bring larger committee budgets, more investigative staff and, most importantly, the power to compel testimony and demand documents.
That could put the Trump family’s cryptocurrency ventures, investment firms, foreign business relationships and dubious commercial dealings under a congressional microscope almost immediately.
The potential investigations would mark a dramatic shift after two years in which Trump and members of his family have continued expanding their business interests while he has occupied the White House.
House Democrats have already begun preparing an oversight agenda that could span multiple committees, with investigations into Trump, his family and his administration among the priorities if Democrats regain control of the chamber.
The subpoenas could come quickly.
Democrats aren’t waiting until after the election to decide what they want to investigate.
Lawmakers have already sent letters seeking information from Trump-linked companies and business partners, effectively laying the groundwork for broader investigations if they gain the power to compel cooperation.
One of the most closely watched targets is 1789 Capital, the venture capital firm associated with Donald Trump Jr.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, has questioned whether Trump’s family connections could have influenced government contracts, loans or other benefits involving companies connected to the firm.
1789 Capital has pushed back, accusing Raskin of making politically motivated allegations without evidence and refusing to provide the broad business records requested by his office.
The dispute offers a preview of what could happen if Democrats gain subpoena power.
Letters could become subpoenas. Requests for documents could become demands.
And companies that refuse to cooperate could find themselves fighting Congress in court.
Donald Trump Jr. is already in the crosshairs.
Trump Jr.’s business activities have attracted attention from both Democrats and Republicans.
Republican Sen. John Curtis of Utah recently called for an investigation into Trump Jr.’s business dealings, including reports concerning financial support from Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev connected to Trump Jr.’s wedding celebrations.
Curtis has asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to examine whether Trump’s relationship to his father was invoked or understood to provide value in his business dealings.
That means scrutiny of Trump Jr. isn’t necessarily going to remain a Democratic issue.
It is already crossing party lines.
And Democrats have identified additional areas they want to examine, including Trump family cryptocurrency ventures, prediction markets, international real estate transactions and investments involving companies doing business with the federal government.
Kushner could face questions, too.
Jared Kushner is another Trump family member likely to receive attention from congressional investigators.
Democrats have questioned Kushner’s financial relationships through his private-equity firm, Affinity Partners, particularly its dealings with Middle Eastern investors while Kushner has simultaneously played a role in U.S. diplomacy.
Raskin has described those relationships as raising potential conflict-of-interest questions.
Kushner’s representatives have disputed those allegations and argued that critics have not identified a specific law or regulation he violated.
A Democratic-controlled Congress could seek documents and testimony to investigate those questions further.
Whether such investigations ultimately establish wrongdoing is a separate matter.
But Congress would have substantially more power to pursue the answers.
Then there’s Trump’s ballroom.
Trump’s massive White House ballroom project could become another major target.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal has already been investigating the project, including its financing, contractors and reported corporate donors.
His office has sought information from companies involved in the project and from reported donors about the terms of their contributions and whether they had business interests before the administration.
The scrutiny intensified after reporting indicated that construction costs had risen dramatically.
The Washington Post has reported that Clark Construction signed a confidential, no-bid contract connected to the East Wing project and that internal construction estimates increased substantially during the planning process.
Blumenthal has already demanded records from Clark Construction concerning its selection, contracts and the project’s costs.
If Democrats gain control of the Senate, that investigation could receive substantially more resources and authority.
The possibility of aggressive congressional oversight is already affecting the way some Trump-connected businesses are responding.
1789 Capital has retained the prominent law firm Quinn Emanuel as it pushes back against Raskin’s inquiries.
In a September response, the firm’s lawyers said 1789 welcomes legitimate congressional oversight but would resist what it described as political gamesmanship.
That kind of legal confrontation could become routine if Democrats take control.
Congressional investigations rarely end with the first letter.
They can lead to document battles, depositions, subpoenas, contempt proceedings and, eventually, litigation over what companies and individuals are required to disclose.
For two years, Republicans have controlled Congress while Trump pursued an aggressive second-term agenda.
A change in congressional control would flip that dynamic. Instead of congressional committees protecting the administration from investigations, Democrats could control the committees doing the investigating.
And their targets would extend beyond Trump’s policies.
The business empire surrounding the president and his family could become a central focus.
That includes the Trump family’s cryptocurrency ventures, Donald Jr.’s investment activities, Kushner’s private-equity dealings, foreign business relationships and companies that have received government contracts, loans or other benefits.
House Democrats have already indicated that their oversight agenda would be broad if they regain control, with subpoenas and hearings among the tools available to them.
The White House has rejected the idea that such investigations would amount to legitimate oversight, arguing that Democrats are seeking to obstruct Trump’s agenda.
But the legal authority of Congress is about to become one of the biggest questions hanging over the midterms.
If Democrats take Congress, the Trump family may not have to wait long to find out what that means.
The letters could become subpoenas. The questions could become hearings. And Trump’s family business empire could suddenly find itself answering to a Congress it no longer controls.
