Democrats to probe lucrative Trump family business deals if they win midterms

Majority in House or Senate would give Democrats subpoena power and funds for expanded investigative staff Trump-linked crypto firms and Donald Trump Jr's 1789 Capital rank high on Democrats' target list Some Republicans may join inquiries, while companies weigh compliance against political and legal risks White House says Democrats 'baselessly' targeting Trump agenda By Alexandra Ulmer and Richard Cowan WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) — Corporate donors to US President Donald Trump's ballroom and participants in business deals brokered by Trump family members are expected to be among the first targets of investigations if Democrats take control of the House or Senate in November's midterm elections, multiple Capitol Hill staffers, lawmakers and attorneys told Reuters in recent days. Control of either chamber would give Democrats subpoena power and funding to bolster investigative staff, enabling them to launch probes as early as February and potentially triggering lengthy legal battles that would place the Trump family business empire squarely in the spotlight. The investigations could dominate the second half of Trump's term after two years of dealmaking in which the Trump family expanded into crypto, drones, artificial intelligence and prediction markets, while the president's personal wealth grew by an estimated $2.2 billion. “I don't think the Democrats are going to have patience. They're going to expect documents pretty quickly. You're not going to play the old run-out-the-clock game,” said Ashley Callen, a lawyer with law firm Jenner & Block who was previously general counsel to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. US House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York told reporters on September 17: “We're going to hold the crooks accountable, beginning on day one.” The Trump administration criticized the potential for investigations. "Democrats have no agenda to improve the lives of the American people, just plans to obstruct and baselessly target President Trump’s commonsense agenda,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Corporations are a ripe target for investigations because, unlike the White House, they cannot claim their activities are protected by executive privilege. Of particular interest are Trump-linked crypto firms and Donald Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm, 1789 Capital, according to Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, although both cautioned there is no definitive list of targets yet. Companies with ties to Trump and his family are conducting urgent preparations, including hiring lawyers for internal audits and crisis communications firms for public outreach, according to interviews with corporate counsels, crisis management specialists, congressional staff and lawmakers. Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island unveiled a report on Thursday, saying oil and gas companies won tax