Democrats in Congress are already preparing for the investigations they plan to launch if and when they regain control of the House or Senate. Even though they’re in the minority right now, they are laying the groundwork for future probes into what they call corruption under Donald Trump’s administration.
On Wednesday, several senior Democrats — including Rep. Jamie Raskin, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, and Sen. Adam Schiff — sent letters to three major law firms demanding answers about the free legal services they’ve been providing to Trump and his government. According to a *New York Times* report, at least two firms, Paul Weiss and Kirkland & Ellis, have been giving pro bono help to the Commerce Department “on a range of matters.” Another firm, Skadden Arps, is also reportedly working with Commerce, though it’s not clear whether it’s being paid or working for free.
Democrats argue this may violate federal law, specifically the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits the government from accepting voluntary services unless Congress has explicitly approved them. Their letters ask for detailed explanations on how these deals were set up, what work is being done, and under what authority the Commerce Department is allowed to accept free services.
The lawmakers point out that Paul Weiss had originally agreed to provide \$40 million in free legal work for causes like helping veterans and fighting anti-Semitism — not for supporting an entire federal agency with an \$8.6 billion budget. In their view, the sudden expansion of services to the Commerce Department raises serious red flags.
While Democrats don’t yet have the power to force these firms to cooperate, the situation could change quickly if they retake the majority in the 2026 midterms. If that happens, Raskin and Blumenthal would be able to hold hearings, issue subpoenas, and compel testimony. They’ve made clear they intend to do just that, saying it’s essential to build a record of what’s happening now so it can be investigated later.
Raskin has been blunt, warning that law firms shouldn’t think they’re safe by giving Trump what he wants. He says the bigger goal is to prevent any president from ever again using public office to pressure law firms, universities, or businesses into serving their private interests. In his words, Trump has been doing the exact opposite — exploiting public office to reward his allies and attack his enemies.
The letters give the law firms until October 6 to respond, but it’s possible they’ll ignore the requests while Democrats remain in the minority. Still, the timing and tone of the letters make clear that these lawmakers are preparing for much deeper investigations once they have the power to act.
This is not the only area where Democrats are planting seeds for future oversight. They’ve also begun probing the Justice Department’s decision to quietly drop a bribery investigation into Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar. Last year, Homan was allegedly caught by FBI agents accepting a bag containing \$50,000 in cash from undercover operatives posing as businessmen seeking government contracts.
The White House now defends Homan by saying he did “nothing wrong.” Homan himself has publicly denied doing anything illegal. But reporting by MSNBC’s Ken Dilanian suggests otherwise. Multiple sources told him Homan did accept the money, and an internal government document backs up that claim.
For Democrats, both the law firm controversy and the Homan bribery case represent the same problem: Trump’s administration bending the rules, ignoring the law, and protecting its allies. By sending letters and demanding answers now, Raskin, Blumenthal, and Schiff are signaling that they intend to return to these issues with full force if their party regains the power to investigate.
