Democrats put Trump corruption under scanner after midterm gains

• Democrats plan investigations into Trump's business interests and administration.

• Epstein files, ICE raids and DOGE feature among proposed targets.

• Party faces pressure to link corruption probes with affordability concerns.

Corruption emerged as a major concern for voters who ousted Republicans and handed Democrats control of Congress in the midterm elections. With their new majorities secured, Democrats are now making the issue central to their legislative and investigative agenda.

Senior Democrats in both chambers have vowed to use their expanded investigative powers, subpoena authority and larger committee staffs to probe what they describe as the self-enrichment of President Donald Trump and those in his orbit at public expense. Trump and his White House have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

House Democrats are preparing an expansive oversight agenda examining how Trump and his family have grown wealthier since his return to office. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, who is in line to become House speaker, has also refused to rule out a third attempt to impeach the president.

Months ago, Jeffries assigned the ranking Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees, Representatives Robert Garcia of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, to lead the effort. Democrats are seeking to connect allegations of public corruption with the affordability pressures facing ordinary Americans.

'Lawyer up,' Garcia posted on X as election results favouring Democrats began coming in on Tuesday night.

The Senate is expected to pursue a similar course.

"Americans want us to clean up corruption in government," said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, who is poised to become Senate majority leader next year. "No American should have to make trade-offs at the supermarket while Trump is making inside trades on the stock market."

ICE raids, Epstein investigation and DOGE among targets

Garcia, the top Democrat on the House oversight and government reform committee, has outlined five priorities, including the Trump family's business dealings, the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

Representative Jared Huffman of California, the top Democrat on the House natural resources committee, said he wanted to investigate Trump's White House ballroom and other construction projects, as well as the Trump family's involvement in mineral deals.

Control of the House will give Democrats greater access to congressional committee staff and resources, enabling a wide-ranging investigation across panels with oversight authority over Cabinet officials and federal agencies.

In the Senate, Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who is expected to chair the permanent subcommittee on investigations under the homeland security committee, said he wanted to examine Trump's real estate projects around Washington and his cryptocurrency dealings with special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Witkoff, a longtime Trump ally, partnered with the president on the family's cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial.

"The tentacles of corruption reach deep in this administration, and they have added costs to everyday Americans," Blumenthal told The Associated Press on Wednesday. He also wants hearings on ICE raids, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Medicare plans that he says are too restrictive and have deprived some patients of care.

Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, who is in line to become chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has also identified several targets under what he calls an accountability agenda. These include banks that he alleges ignored warning signs about Epstein's financial dealings and pharmaceutical companies that have profited from their links to the Trump administration.

'When I am chair, they will be forced to answer to the Senate Finance Committee for their role in hurting the American people and enabling Trump's corruption,' Wyden said in a statement on Wednesday.

Corruption resonates with voters, AP poll finds

Government corruption and the state of democracy featured prominently among voter concerns in Tuesday's elections, according to The Associated Press voter poll, which surveyed more than 100,000 voters nationwide.

While roughly four in 10 voters identified the economy as the country's most pressing issue, about three in 10 pointed to the state of democracy. Nearly half said government corruption was crucial to their vote for Congress. Most of these voters backed Democratic candidates in their local House races, while about a third voted Republican.

Among voters who identified the state of democracy as the country's biggest concern, about eight in 10 supported Democratic candidates, compared with roughly two in 10 who backed Republicans.

Older voters were more likely than younger ones to identify the state of democracy as the most important issue facing the country. Among those aged 65 and above, about four in 10 cited it as the top concern, compared with three in 10 who pointed to the economy. Younger voters were more likely to rank the economy first.

These concerns helped make anti-corruption a central theme of Democratic campaigns, with candidates accusing Republican opponents of prioritising their own interests and those of donors over the wider electorate.

Democrats face challenge of balancing corruption probes with cost-of-living concerns

The White House has dismissed the prospect of Democratic investigations, warning that they could come at the expense of policies aimed at helping ordinary Americans.

"As the president has said, he's willing to work with anyone to continue delivering victories for hardworking Americans," White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said on Wednesday. "If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people."

Schumer, however, maintained that Democrats could pursue investigations into what he called "rampant corruption" while continuing to legislate on issues such as affordability.

In a letter to Democratic lawmakers announcing his bid for House speaker, Jeffries said the 'days of the House functioning like a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump administration are over'.

'The massive corruption the country has experienced from the Trump Cartel explains why very little is getting done to help everyday Americans,' Jeffries wrote, pledging to tackle price gouging and push for a ban on stock trading by lawmakers. 'That changes immediately.'

For Democrats, the challenge will be to sustain the focus on corruption without losing sight of the cost-of-living concerns that remain central to voters.

The Congressional Integrity Project, an advocacy group originally formed to counter Republican investigations into former president Joe Biden's administration, is now shifting its focus to help Democrats make that connection. In a memo, the group urged lawmakers to trace the Trump administration's actions to individuals, businesses and corporations that may be benefiting from them.

"Corruption is not just corruption," said the group's senior adviser, Jack Miller. "It is costing taxpayers and costing Americans in their everyday lives."

With AP/PTI inputs