As the Democratic party reasserts control in the House of Representatives, parameters for news oversight investigations on President Donald Trump's administration were announced Wednesday by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Schiff said the committee's investigation into President Donald Trump will "go beyond" whether Russia interfered in the 2016 Presidential election and "investigate any credible allegation that financial interests or other interests are driving the decision-making of the president or anyone in the administration."
The investigation will examine whether Trump or allies in his administration have "sought to influence U.S. government policy in service of foreign interests," and “whether any foreign actor has sought to compromise or holds leverage, financial or otherwise, over Donald Trump, his family, his business, or his associates.”
Trump responded to Schiff's announcement Thursday with a series of tweets, blasting the chairman and the committee, calling it "Unlimited Presidential Harassment."
“So now Congressman Adam Schiff announces, after having found zero Russian Collusion, that he is going to be looking at every aspect of my life, both financial and personal, even though there is no reason to be doing so,” the president tweeted. “Never happened before! Unlimited Presidential Harassment."
Trump called Schiff a "partisan hack" adding that there was no basis for an investigation into his finances. In an interview with the The New York Times last year, the president said an investigation into his finances would be a "red line."
"The Dems and their committees are going “nuts.” The Republicans never did this to President Obama, there would be no time left to run government. I hear other committee heads will do the same thing. Even stealing people who work at White House! A continuation of Witch Hunt!" Trump tweeted.
Schiff's investigation into the president is likely to be only one of many as House Democrats have promised to investigate everything from the president's tax returns to the scandals plaguing his Cabinet members as well as how Trump's administration has granted security clearances.
"PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT! It should never be allowed to happen again!" the president tweeted.
Several associates of Trump have been indicted or pleaded guilty as a result of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Thirty-seven indictments have been issued by Mueller's office which has also obtained guilty pleas from former campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, former campaign chair, Paul Manafort, campaign aide Rick Gates. Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn also pleaded guilty in Dec. 2017 for making false statements to the FBI.
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