White House letter warns Democrats against investigations as lawmakers vow continued oversight

A letter from the White House is drawing sharp reactions from members of Congress as Democrats prepare to take control of Congress in January and pursue investigations into the Trump administration.

The three-page letter, sent by President Donald Trump's top attorney and addressed to Rep. Robert Garcia of California, warns that Democrats who launch aggressive investigations into the administration could "cross the line into blatant criminality."

Garcia, who is expected to lead the House Oversight Committee when Democrats assume control, characterized the letter as intimidation and reiterated his commitment to investigating what he described as widespread corruption.

"If you have abused the American public, you should lawyer up. If you're a corporate CEO and you're ripping off the American people, you should lawyer up. If you've abused and you're a co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein, and you've abused and raped women and children, you should lawyer up," Garcia said.

Calls for congressional investigations are not limited to Democrats. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., whose effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was blocked Tuesday, said he hopes lawmakers pursue substantive oversight.

"There will be real oversight. I mean, I hope the Democrats don't squander it on stupid things. I hope they have real hearings about real things, not another Russia-gate. Because I think there is some real corruption there around the fringes," Massie said.

Legal experts questioned the significance of the White House letter, arguing it carries little practical authority.

"The notion of criminalizing legislators doing their job is much more about posturing than it is about a real threat," said ABC News legal analyst James Sample.