{
  "id": 19533582,
  "title": "Investigate Trump? The White House Says That Might Be a Crime.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/investigate-trump-the-white-house-says-that-might-be-a-crime",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-11T18:00:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mother Jones",
    "slug": "mother-jones",
    "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/11/investigate-trump-the-white-house-says-that-might-be-a-crime/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The White House has warned Democrats against discussing investigations into former President Donald Trump, arguing that such actions could constitute a crime, according to a letter from White House counsel Will Scharf. In the letter, Scharf reminded incoming House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) of the Constitution's \"foundational limits,\" stating that Congress must demonstrate a legitimate legislative purpose before launching an investigation. Failure to do so, Scharf argued, represents a clear abuse of power. Scharf also accused Democrats of attempting to \"interfere with the lawful functioning of government,\" citing social media posts from various lawmakers expressing their intentions to issue subpoenas. Rep. Garcia responded to Scharf's letter, asserting that Congress's authority stems from Article I of the Constitution, not from the White House's permission. The earliest Democrats could initiate any potential probes is January, when Congress officially welcomes its new Democratic majority. Garcia emphasized that the American people voted overwhelmingly for Congress to pass laws aimed at rooting out corruption and abuse, while Trump administration officials have threatened constitutional attacks on Congress.",
  "summary": "The White House on Wednesday threatened Democrats with criminal investigations for talking about investigating Trump. Will Scharf, the White House counsel, wrote to remind incoming House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) about what he called the Constitution’s “foundational limits.” “These principles require Congress to identify a legitimate legislative purpose underlying…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}