White House signals it won’t cooperate with subpoenas from incoming Democratic chairs
WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers set to control key congressional investigative committees sent a letter Wednesday to Meredith O’Rourke, President Trump’s chief fundraiser, demanding information about her role in raising more than $800 million for the president’s key projects and saying that her operation “reeks of potential corruption.”
The letter lays out what the lawmakers call “the appearance of widespread corruption” in Trump’s fundraising practices, citing instances in which major companies including Capital One, SoftBank Group and Lockheed Martin made major donations to Trump priorities and subsequently received favorable treatment from the federal government.
Capital One declined to comment. SoftBank and Lockheed Martin did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lockheed Martin has previously said its engagement with the government complies with laws and regulations.
The letter was signed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, incoming chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations; and Rep. Robert Garcia of California, incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee. The request is an early example of what is expected to be many information requests from the lawmakers as they probe the fundraising operation Trump created in office and his alleged self-dealing.
A spokeswoman for Trump and O’Rourke said: “President Trump is the most successful fundraiser in political history, and he is deeply grateful to his donors, but one thing has never changed: He can’t be bought.” The spokeswoman called the Democrats’ accusations “absurd, baseless and full of hypocrisy.”
O’Rourke has been the main point of contact for companies giving to the White House ballroom and many of Trump’s marquee projects, soliciting tens of millions of dollars from them, The Wall Street Journal reported in July. Trump provides her with names to call for donations — often people who have recently met with him. He has praised her work and given her the nickname “princess of darkness.”
Her asks can range from $5 million to $50 million — amounts the Journal described as jaw-dropping for a sitting president to request — and she presses hard for gifts, saying “This is very important to the president” and “the boss wants this money,” the newspaper reported. At times, she has sat in on meetings between Trump and business executives.
“You facilitate an operation that raises serious questions about quid pro quo politics,” the lawmakers wrote to O’Rourke, citing the Journal’s reporting.
The lawmakers asked O’Rourke to provide a list of all the companies and donors she has personally solicited for money and the outcomes of those requests. They also asked for information on how she is compensated and the roles she plays in meetings with executives, and set a Nov. 25 deadline for her response.
Last week’s election gave Democrats new majorities in the House and the Senate and what many have seen as a mandate to take on allegations of corruption in the Trump administration.
The White House has been preparing for a wave of investigations. Earlier this week, it warned Garcia that there are constitutional limitations on investigative functions and that some Democrats have crossed the line with verbal threats that may be criminal. The Journal described the warning as a sign of the aggressive posture the White House plans to take against the probes.
The incoming Democratic committee chairs will hold subpoena power when they take over. The White House has indicated that it does not plan to cooperate with subpoenas. O’Rourke, however, is not a White House employee.