The White House is threatening possible criminal investigations into House Democrats.
White House Counsel Will Scharf sent a letter on Monday to Rep. Robert Garcia, the incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee, arguing that the Democrats' inquiries could violate the law.
In the letter, Scharf wrote that Congress must identify a legitimate purpose for its investigative acts and that issuing subpoenas with the intent to deprive citizens of constitutional rights may warrant further investigation.
Garcia responded that the White House threats are an attempt to undermine Congress's constitutional oversight authority, stating that Congress is a coequal branch and will not be deterred by baseless threats.