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After two years of being blocked by the White House and the Trump Organization at every turn, Democrats hope the new year brings a new day on such issues as foreign government spending at Trump properties, Trump’s foreign licensing deals, Trump administration ties to lobbyists and special interests, and spending by Trump’s charitable foundation.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, the Maryland Democrat who is poised to take charge of the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement to The Associated Press that he intends to use the panel as “a check on the executive branch — not merely for potential criminal violations, but for much broader concerns, such as conflicts of interest, emoluments violations and waste, fraud and abuse.”
While Democrats taking over key House committees have not specifically telegraphed their targets, Cummings’ committee would likely seek Trump’s business tax returns and other company-related financial records, according to two Democratic congressional staffers who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss post-election plans.
Trump’s personal income taxes, which he withheld during the 2016 campaign and in his two years in office, are expected to be the purview of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Internal Revenue Service law allows House and Senate tax-writing committees to request federal returns, and the ranking Ways and Means Democrat, Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, has signaled publicly he would ask for them — a move the White House might fight.