Democrats prepare wave of probes into Trump administration after midterm win

Energy and Venezuela probes

Democrats who won control of Congress in the midterm elections plan to use committee powers from January 2027 to compel documents and hearings from administration officials. Frank Pallone, who is expected to lead the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has announced a broad oversight campaign. The probes would cover exploitation of Venezuelan oil, investments in critical minerals, the cancellation of renewable energy projects and the war with Iran. The Venezuela inquiry would examine Washington's control of Venezuelan oil exports since Nicolás Maduro was removed in January, including how oil revenue is used.

Democrats also want the legal basis for an agreement under which the Pentagon took a stake in North American Blue Energy Partners, a company involved in reserves estimated at 65 billion barrels. Senators have questioned the role of Cantor Fitzgerald, a firm previously led by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose management he handed to his sons. Lutnick rejected the accusations and said there were no irregularities.

Energy projects worth almost $8 billion in states that backed Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election are also under review. Energy Secretary Chris Wright denied the cancellations were politically motivated. Some Democratic lawmakers accused him of giving false statements, an accusation the Department of Energy rejected.

Trump family finances and corruption claims

Robert Garcia, who is set to chair the House Oversight Committee, sent a brief message on Tuesday evening, 3 November, telling Republicans to call their lawyers. On Wednesday, 4 November, he laid out four lines of inquiry, starting with this one:

“We're going after Trump's criminal family.”

Garcia cited Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding, which he said a Russian oligarch paid for, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, which received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. Kushner was named Trump's special envoy for peace in 2026, and Democrats argue the two roles conflict.

Public financial disclosures show Trump's business took in at least $1.4 billion from cryptocurrency activities last year, while about one million investors in a Trump-linked crypto project lost nearly $3.8 billion as their volatile holdings fell. The president's family also expanded business dealings during his term, including in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.

Saudi sovereign fund funding to Affinity Partners2

Trump business crypto income last year (at least)1.4

Losses of investors in a Trump-linked crypto project3.8

Saudi sovereign fund funding to Affinity Partners

2 USD billion

Trump business crypto income last year (at least)

1.4 USD billion

Losses of investors in a Trump-linked crypto project

3.8 USD billion

Data from the article text

A Fox News poll of 1,202 respondents found almost 90% extremely or very worried about government corruption, ranking it above inflation and high prices. Garcia's second inquiry targets the Department of Homeland Security and alleged abuses by ICE.

Starshield documents and Ukraine drone losses

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has sent preservation requests to private companies and administration bodies, covering documents tied to planned probes, a Democratic Senate aide told CNN. Elon Musk is among the recipients, over the slowdown of SpaceX's Starshield programme in Ukraine. Similar letters went to ports, banks and private entities involved in Russian diesel transactions, and the aide called such requests standard procedure.

Restrictions on the military-oriented Starshield service disrupted Ukrainian drone missions in October, affecting interception, reconnaissance and frontline logistics. Ukrainian defence sources said the limits appeared overnight on 14 October without warning. Some terminals lost connectivity when moving faster than roughly 160 km/h, although units initially reported different thresholds. Nine senators from both parties asked for an inspector general investigation on 15 October.

On 23 October, Ukrainian officials still recorded connection losses at 161 km/h (101 mph), despite earlier claims that the service had been restored. On 24 October, Ukraine's Defence Ministry said speeds had recovered and connections were stable above 400 km/h (249 mph). President Volodymyr Zelensky also said services had returned to earlier operating levels, according to Reuters.

Outlook for the next Congress

Republicans still control the current Congress, a Democratic adviser said, which makes near-term changes unlikely. The National Defense Authorization Act passed the Senate in July but has not yet been approved by the House, and the adviser does not expect substantial changes to it during the transition. If the Iran war takes a drastic turn, Democrats could seek amended wording in exchange for votes, the adviser said.