Rep. Jamie Raskin says the incoming Democratic majority will investigate alleged corruption throughout the Trump administration while prioritizing congressional oversight and legislative reforms over an immediate third impeachment effort.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., is preparing extensive investigations into President Donald Trump, his administration and his family’s business interests when Democrats take control of Congress in January, but cautioned that another presidential impeachment could divert attention from exposing alleged misconduct and pursuing legislative reforms.
Raskin, who is expected to become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told the Financial Times that Democrats intend to examine what he described as an “avalanche of corruption” involving presidential associates, government contracts, financial dealings and the exercise of executive authority.
The Maryland Democrat said his “overriding priority” would be restoring the “rule of law and constitutional government” rather than making impeachment the centerpiece of the party’s agenda.
“We’re looking at the systemic corruption that has taken place, how it came about, who’s involved in it, and then what we need to do legislatively or constitutionally to prevent such a nightmare from ever happening again,” Raskin said.
The planned investigations follow Democratic victories in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, which gave the party control of both the House and Senate beginning in January. Lawmakers preparing to lead congressional committees have identified potential inquiries involving Trump’s financial interests, presidential pardons, immigration enforcement, government contracting and the administration’s handling of federal agencies.
Among the matters Raskin intends to examine are allegations involving tariff exemptions granted to companies with connections to the president, the financial activities of Trump family members and the conduct of officials involved in government spending decisions.
The Financial Times reported that potential subjects include Donald Trump Jr.’s investment firm, 1789 Capital, and Jared Kushner’s diplomatic activities in the Middle East while his private equity business maintains relationships with investors from the region.
Raskin also raised concerns about the activities of Elon Musk’s government-efficiency initiative and whether government decisions improperly benefited private interests.
Trump and his associates have denied wrongdoing. Kushner has maintained that his diplomatic work advances American interests and does not provide improper financial benefits to his business or investors.
The scrutiny follows financial disclosures showing that Trump reported earning more than $2 billion in 2025, including substantial income connected to cryptocurrency ventures established by his sons. Democratic lawmakers have questioned whether those business activities create conflicts of interest involving presidential decisions.
Raskin has emphasized that congressional investigators must establish the facts before determining whether legislative or constitutional remedies are warranted.
Although Democrats have the votes to initiate impeachment proceedings in the House, Raskin has expressed reservations about immediately pursuing a third impeachment of Trump.
“We’re not afraid to impeach him,” Raskin said in a post-election interview cited by PolitiFact. “It’s a tool in the constitutional toolkit, but we understand it’s not a panacea.”
Raskin, who served as lead House impeachment manager during Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021, has argued that the constitutional process should remain available without displacing other congressional responsibilities.
In a separate interview with Capital News Service, he said Democrats must weigh impeachment against other priorities, including health care access and immigration enforcement oversight.
“Is it more important to me to launch an impeachment process against Pete Hegseth … or to get millions of people their health coverage back on Medicaid and the ACA?” Raskin asked. “To my mind, it’s far more important to render aid on an emergency basis to the victims of all of the healthcare cuts.”
He also described impeachment as a constitutional safeguard that should neither be pursued automatically nor excluded from consideration.
“It’s not a fetish for us. We understand it cannot be any kind of panacea for everything that ails us, but it is not in any way a taboo. It is just a critical tool of democratic self-defense in our constitutional toolkit,” Raskin said.
The position contrasts with warnings from incoming House Minority Leader Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who predicted Wednesday that Democrats would pursue another impeachment and launch investigations targeting administration officials and potential Republican presidential candidates.
During an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Jordan said Democrats would investigate officials throughout the executive branch and accused the incoming majority of preparing politically motivated congressional proceedings.
Raskin and other Democrats have rejected accusations that their planned investigations are intended to harass political opponents, maintaining that congressional oversight is necessary to examine potential abuses of federal authority.
The White House has taken steps to prepare for the incoming investigations, including expanding its legal staff and warning lawmakers that investigative demands must serve legitimate legislative purposes.
White House counsel Will Scharf recently challenged anticipated Democratic inquiries, warning that certain investigative tactics could violate constitutional protections or potentially constitute criminal conduct.
Congressional Democrats have disputed those warnings, arguing that the legislative branch possesses broad authority to investigate executive actions and determine whether changes to federal law are necessary.
Raskin has also identified immigration enforcement as a priority for the Judiciary Committee, calling for investigations into the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and the Department of Homeland Security.
“We want the masks off, and we want the cameras turned on, and we want to re-impose the Constitution and the rule of law on ICE,” Raskin told Capital News Service. “It cannot operate outside of the rule of law in our country.”
The Maryland lawmaker has sought to connect oversight investigations with Democrats’ broader legislative agenda, including consumer affordability, health care access and government accountability.
“Accountability and affordability are not opposites,” Raskin said in an interview with The Baltimore Banner. “I mean, the corruption means that the government is working for a tiny slice of the American people.”
Trump was impeached twice during his first term and acquitted by the Senate both times. A third impeachment would require a simple majority in the House, while removing the president from office would require a two-thirds majority of senators present.
With Democrats preparing to assume congressional leadership in January, Raskin’s approach signals an emphasis on sustained investigations and potential legislative changes rather than immediately initiating another impeachment proceeding.
The scope of those investigations, the evidence they uncover and whether lawmakers ultimately pursue impeachment remain unresolved as the incoming Democratic majority prepares to exercise its oversight authority.
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