If the midterm election goes as predicted, Democrats will win a majority in the House of Representatives and control all of the major House committees, including those that provide oversight of the executive branch.
And with two weeks left before the ballots are counted, key Democrats are signaling that they have every intention of restarting the House Intelligence Committee probe of the 2016 election, looking into possible money laundering by the president, and getting ahold of Trump’s tax returns.
“California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, has said his party would have to “ruthlessly prioritize the most important matters first.
“The Republican-led Intelligence Committee was the only House panel to investigate Russian meddling, and its investigation is now closed. Republicans say they found no evidence of collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump’s campaign.”
If indeed Democrats do regain control of the House, here’s what to expect in 2019:
Donald Trump, Money Launderer?
Schiff has long suspected that Trump laundered money for Russian oligarchs and organized crime figures. If so, that would prove that Russia has leverage over the president.
Donald Trump Jr.
At issue is that infamous June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower where Donald Trump Jr., former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner met with Russian nationals who had promised to provide “dirt” on Hillary Clinton:
“According to phone records he provided to Congress, Trump Jr. had a call with a blocked number several days before the meeting took place; he said he didn’t recall with whom. Democrats want to subpoena additional phone records because Trump Jr. has insisted he didn’t alert his father to the meeting beforehand. They also want more information about his communications with former Trump communications aide Hope Hicks.”
Trump’s Tax Returns
Trump has repeatedly refused to release his income tax returns, claiming that he cannot do so because he’s under audit by the IRS. Those returns could show exactly who Trump has done business with:
“Lawmakers hope that access to Trump’s taxes would reveal information about his financial entanglements with other countries, among other things. But getting them may not be easy. The tax-writing committees in Congress can obtain tax records from the IRS under the law, but it is possible the Trump administration would refuse to hand them over, prompting a court fight.”
One thing is certain: If Democrats do regain control of Congress after November 6, they won’t be the fawning lapdogs that House Republicans have repeatedly been since Trump was elected. And their investigations could well lead to the ultimate downfall of the Trump administration.
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