Jamie Raskin Vows to Subpoena Law Firms and Companies That Worked With Trump
Rep. Jamie Raskin is already laying out who House Democrats plan to investigate once they take power, and the list goes well beyond the Trump administration.
The Maryland Democrat, who is set to become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in January, says he will use the committee's subpoena power against businesses and law firms that cooperated with President Trump.
Speaking with MS NOW's Nicolle Wallace after the election, Raskin accused private corporations of collaborating in what he called lawlessness. "We've done it before, and we will absolutely do it again," he said.
Law Firms in the Crosshairs
Law firms are a particular target. Early in Trump's second term, executive orders targeted several firms over their clients and personnel decisions, setting off a clash with some of the biggest practices in the country.
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Several firms then reached agreements with the administration, promising free legal work aligned with its priorities and changes to diversity, equity and inclusion practices.
Nine firms together pledged about $940 million in pro bono services. Raskin singled out Paul Weiss while criticizing firms that accepted the deals instead of fighting them.
Raskin contrasted those firms with others he praised for resisting Trump, describing the agreements as surrender to presidential pressure. His comments effectively divide the legal industry between firms Democrats applaud and firms they intend to confront.
The $940 million figure refers to promised legal services, which makes the terms of those deals and whether they were carried out a central part of the coming oversight fight.
Committee Democrats previously sent letters to Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden Arps, Paul Weiss, A&O Shearman, Cadwalader, Latham & Watkins and Simpson Thacher. Raskin says those firms were not forthcoming.
From Letters to Subpoenas
As the minority, Democrats could only ask. As the majority, they can compel documents and testimony, and Raskin warned that firms refusing to cooperate will face federal subpoenas.
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That puts private employers and their lawyers in the middle of a political fight likely to consume time and money far beyond the White House.
Democrats say their focus will include the agreements themselves, the concessions firms made, and information they have so far been unable to obtain.
Critics online were quick to point out the irony of Democrats calling Trump a fascist while promising to go after anyone who does business with him.
Impeachment Back on the Table
Raskin's warnings also extend to Attorney General Todd Blanche, whom he accused of acting as Trump's personal criminal defense lawyer and turning the Justice Department into a tool of political revenge. He suggested impeachment could follow.
Those accusations are part of Raskin's broader case for investigating both the administration and the private entities that dealt with it.
Trump himself could face another impeachment push. "We're not afraid to impeach Donald Trump," Raskin said after the results came in. "We've done it twice."
He has previously called impeachment "a tool in the toolbox," saying, "Impeachment is not a taboo with us."
For Republicans, the remarks are an early preview of a Democratic majority ready to use every investigative tool against Trump and anyone connected to him. It also shows how quickly the party's election celebration has turned into talk of investigations and impeachment.