We Took Their Gavels. Now Trump’s People Get Subpoenas.
Page 19 of the regime’s August memo says that once Trump posts about a confidential conversation online, it’s no longer protected. Knowing how he posts, that’s less of a hole and more of a garage door. If someone you know should be reading this, send them a gift subscription. And if you want to help fund the biggest pressure campaign we’ve ever run on Congress, become a founding member. We’re aiming to bring four new founding members on board today, and I’d love for you to be one of them. Or send a tip instead. Every dollar goes into the investigating and the organizing, and it’s what takes this operation to the next level: https://venmo.com/u/dworkinreport We Took Their Gavels. Now Trump’s People Get Subpoenas.Also: the receipts Raskin saved for Don Jr., the hole in Trump’s new legal shield, and the justice who pointed Congress toward impeachment.
What a week. Thanks so much for joining me on this wonderful Saturday. I hope you’re feeling good, because you deserve it. For two years, all we could do was guess what a Democratic Congress might do. Now I can tell you what’s actually going to happen. How am I so sure? Because we will make it happen. In January, Democrats will hold every gavel in Congress—that comes with subpoena power. The Trump regime hid behind the GOP majority and ignored most inquiries from Democrats. That time is over. Right after the election, we launched our biggest pressure campaign on Congress ever. We draft the letters for folks so all they have to do is add their name and hit send. Congress has to listen, and not just because I know a lot of them personally. If a Democrat gets a gavel and doesn’t use it, they’ll hear from us. Loudly. And immediately. All of our funding comes from paid subscribers. No advertisers. No billionaires. No nonsense. Every subscription pays for our investigating, reporting, online organizing, and keeping the heat on Congress. You get my exclusive posts and interviews, and you see what we dig up before it runs anywhere else. In January, Trump’s people start answering subpoenas for the first time in two years, and I want you right there with me when they do. Join us here. Before you dig in, hit the ❤️ like button, then the restack/share button next to it. That’s the two little arrows going around in a circle, and it sends this edition to everyone who follows you on Substack. Trump’s own lawyers messed up, and it leaves his family’s deals open to subpoenas. Share this so everyone finds out.
Wyden Finally Gets His SubpoenasLate on Tuesday night, Rep. Robert Garcia, who’s in line to chair the House Oversight Committee, posted two words on social media: “LAWYER UP.” An hour later, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon posted one word: “Subpoenas.” On Friday, Trump went on Truth Social and promoted Stephen Miller—who Garcia says designed the ICE raids—to White House chief of staff. Garcia answered within hours with a statement that ended in five words: “Stephen Miller should lawyer up.” He’s also posted his first targets on video: Don Jr.’s wedding party, which Garcia called a “red wedding,” the Trump sons sitting on the boards of companies with Pentagon contracts, the family crypto schemes, Jared Kushner, the ballroom, the arch, and “those co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein.” He called them “the crime family that are sitting in the White House.” The Trump regime knew where this would be heading. In October, Cabinet secretaries and staffers were already reaching out to law firms, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Trump regime has been protecting Epstein’s bankers, and Senate Republicans made sure nobody could touch them. For four years, Wyden has investigated the Epstein money trail and the banks that handled it. His August report named 13 senior bankers he says should be investigated. But because he didn’t have subpoena power, Wyden couldn’t make any of them testify. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent refused to give the committee the Treasury’s Epstein records. Wyden wrote a bill to force him, but Republicans blocked it. On Wednesday of this week, Wyden gave a stark warning: “When I am chair, they will be forced to answer to the Senate Finance Committee for their role in hurting the American people and enabling Trump’s corruption.” About half of voters told The AP Voter Poll that government corruption was crucial to their vote for Congress, and most of those voters backed the Democrat in their House race. Voters asked for exactly this. In January, Wyden is set to take the gavel, and Epstein’s bankers will finally have to answer to him.
Raskin Kept Every ReceiptRep. Jamie Raskin is the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. With Republicans running things, he couldn’t issue committee subpoenas on his own, so he wrote letters. More than 200 of them, including to the Justice Department, the big law firms that cut deals with Trump, and Don Jr.’s investment firm. On Thursday, he had a message for anyone wondering what comes next: “Go back and read my letters. It’s a pretty good trail of crumbs of what we’re going to do.” In August, Raskin wrote to 1789 Capital, the investment firm that made Don Jr. a partner days after the 2024 election. According to Raskin, the firm was managing about $150 million before he joined. In that letter, he said it now manages more than $3 billion. One company it put money in is Polymarket, a website where people go to bet on world events. Only weeks after the regime gave Polymarket the go-ahead to resume operations in the US, we learned 1789 already had money in it. “They say there is no such thing as a sure thing in investing, but this is about as close as you can get,” Raskin wrote. Even Trump knows how it looks. In July, he told CNBC he feels bad for his kids, because “almost anything they do, if they buy an energy-efficient truck, they have inside information.” 1789 Capital’s lawyers called Raskin’s claims “unsubstantiated and emotional aspersions.” In March, Rep. Maxine Dexter of Oregon tried to subpoena Don Jr. Republicans blocked it, voting her down. They then ended the hearing. Republicans made sure no one in the Trump family has had to answer for any of their corruption. Come January, Raskin will likely chair the Judiciary Committee, where he can put Don Jr.—and everyone else—under oath.
Trump’s Legal Shield Has AFamily-Sized HoleOn August 10, the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel sent the White House a 21-page memo. It gave the regime a plan on how Trump could keep his talks with private advisers hidden from Congress. That includes people who don’t even work for the government. The memo came less than three months before the midterms, and the White House hadn’t named a single adviser or topic—they just wanted it in general. It’s clear the Trump regime is scared of what Congress will find, so they are looking for legal cover. The memo says executive privilege does not cover “personal or non-official matters.” It adds that when Trump posts parts of a private conversation on social media, the information loses that protection. He’s already done that. He posted private texts from the president of France and the head of NATO on Truth Social. Trump’s family’s business dealings are now wide open for scrutiny. Ventures like his crypto company and Don Jr.’s investment firm are private businesses. So they can’t be classified as official work. According to the memo, conversations are only protected if it’s about an official government decision Trump makes. The courts haven’t treated privilege as a blanket excuse to defy Congress either. In July, a federal appeals court upheld Trump adviser Peter Navarro’s conviction for defying a subpoena from the Jan 6 committee. Navarro claimed privilege there too. Judge Patricia Millett wrote that Navarro himself admitted privilege “would not have excused his categorical failure to comply.” The memo also concedes that Congress can still overcome privilege when the information is “demonstrably critical” to its work. The regime spent August building Trump a wall against subpoenas, and its own lawyers left the family’s business deals outside it. In January, Democrats finally get subpoena power back. And we’re going to make sure they use it on every one of those deals—and more.
Even Clarence Thomas Pointed ToImpeachmentStarting in 2017, I ran the first campaign to impeach Trump. So I’ve seen him and his accomplices try to dodge subpoenas for a very long time. For example, he fought for more than a year—all the way to the Supreme Court—to keep records from his accountants away from Congress. People with nothing to hide don’t do that. His favorite move is dragging his fights through the courts until the clock runs out. An impeachment inquiry gives Congress the most power to make him hand things over. In 2020, Justice Clarence Thomas sided with Trump in that accountant case, but he gave Congress another way in. “The power to impeach includes a power to investigate and demand documents,” he wrote. To get Trump’s records, “it should proceed through the impeachment power,” he added. Justice Samuel Alito agreed that the House can investigate a president’s possible wrongdoing that way. Trump has been here before. In December 2019, the House impeached him for ordering members of the regime to defy congressional subpoenas, and that article passed 229 to 198. The August privilege memo tells you they’re getting ready to stonewall again. The last time Trump stonewalled an impeachment inquiry, it became one of the charges against him. Whether Democrats call it an impeachment, investigation, inquiry, or probe, I don’t care. We want the truth revealed and for everyone to be held accountable. Republicans had a tight grip on every gavel in Congress, and all they used them for was protecting Trump and his family. On Tuesday, voters decided they lose every single one of those gavels in January. Some Democrats are talking about being bipartisan for the next 57 days. Don’t mistake that for going soft. These members of Congress have been threatened, harassed, and smeared for years because of Trump. They’re hardened. And the new class coming in isn’t afraid of this regime. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said it on video this week. “First you win, and then you deliver.” And delivering includes the part Trump’s people won’t like: big tech CEOs and Wall Street executives “should prepare to answer tough questions and face real consequences if they have broken the law.” “We can’t wait two years,” she said. Republicans spent two years investigating Joe Biden’s family and came up empty. Democrats will have whistleblowers who never got to testify, and Epstein survivors who never got the public hearing they deserved. They will now. A lot of Trump’s people are going to end up in prison for what they’ve done. If that sounds like wishful thinking, look at his first term. The investigation into his first campaign resulted in charges for 34 people, including 26 Russians who worked to get him elected. His campaign chairman and his deputy, his personal lawyer, and the first congressman to endorse him all went to prison. Trump spent the last weeks of that term pardoning almost everyone else. He’ll try that again. This time, he’s not the only one with a list. Garcia has his. Raskin has 200 letters’ worth. And our community has slammed more than 915,000 letters on the desks of members of Congress since November 2024, so every Democrat picking up a gavel in January already knows what we’re after. To finish the job now, we need your help. Join us as a paid subscriber today to fuel our Lame Duck Watch—which is tracking every move Republicans make on the way out. You’ll have access to our investigations as they happen, and get to see what we’ve found before it’s released anywhere else. I’ve chased Trump’s secrets since 2016, and there’s no way I’m slowing down now that someone can finally make him answer. Join us here: Thank you for everything you did to get us here. Don’t let anyone tell you it didn’t matter. You earned the right to enjoy this moment, and we can use this momentum to change America for the better—forever. Before you go, hit the ❤️ like button and restack this, so more people know subpoenas are coming in January. If you’d rather chip in once than subscribe, a tip on Venmo goes straight into the investigating and organizing: https://venmo.com/u/dworkinreport Onward! Scott Who should be the first person Congress puts under oath in January? What happened this election season that you’re most proud of? Thanks for your support! Another way to help us out is by gifting subscriptions to friends and family! You can get yours by clicking the link. For all contact Congress links, or to volunteer, you can go here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-up-for-the-watchdog-coalition |
Next week the House could vote on impeaching Pete Hegseth, and the new Congress is less than two months away. These four letters keep the pressure on all weekend. Each one takes about 30 seconds and goes straight to your members of Congress.
Impeach Pete Hegseth: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-impeach-pete-hegseth/
Impeach Clarence Thomas: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-impeach-clarence-thomas-3/
Subpoena the unredacted Epstein files on day one: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-the-new-congress-subpoena-the-unredacted-epstein-files-on-day-one
Put Trump's pardons under oath: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-put-trumps-pardons-under-oath
Tell me below which ones you sent.
JUST A FEW COMMENTS:
The congressional hearings to hold Trump’s minions accountable will be televised so all Americans can see for themselves who is going down. So much corruption, so little popcorn.
Stock up on the popcorn Mike! :)
I think that the right-wingers' favorite, the donald, will be EATING A LOT OF CROW , KENTUKY FRIED WINGS
BYE-BYE!
YEY it's past time
“So much corruption, so little popcorn.” I love that for us!
I’m feeling something I haven’t felt in a long time: actual hope with a backbone. Voters asked for this. Now Wyden can go after Epstein’s bankers, Raskin walks in with years of receipts, and the people who acted untouchable are being told to lawyer up. We cannot waste this moment.
What I’m most proud of this season is the stubbornness. People got told for two years that nothing they did mattered, and they showed up anyway. I don’t want a victory lap that turns into a nap. I want that same refusal going into January.
We'll keep it going, Sam!!!
Our work will continue in the battle against the evil Stephen Miller!
What did the LITTLE NAZI do with the CHILDREN when he separated FAMILIES?
Did he SELL THEM? The TURD kept no RECORDS!
IMO Miller is truly the most evil & vile man in America. It’s why Trump keeps him on. If he can’t of think of a depraved & vengeful enough plan, he knows Miller will come through. So I believe Stephen Miller should be the 1st to be investigated and hopefully Impeached from power in all Government work in America & beyond.
I gotta agree, Kat. Remove Miller; abolish ICE, keep watch!
I agree
The evil architect needs to go & be held accountable
I’d like a ‘cost’ for all of the members that violated their oath of office. They made all of this so much tougher, and threw the constitution under the bus! This must never happen systemically again.
As much as I would love Miller gone, the Constitution has limited impeachment to Cabinet members and Pres and VP. Not to say someone can't try!
Sad that it’s true, but perhaps exposing he and his wife’s antics will provide the pushback to have him tossed out!
I agree. Miller first!
Stephen Miller if they can and then Pete Hegseth. Then all the rest of 45/47 regime and family.
I am so joyous about the Blue taking over Congress. The women and all the younger ones in age. We got rid of a lot of elderly ducks
I believe that ill conceived appt will backfire on Chump - big time.
"YOU CAN BLOW OUT A CANDLE, BUT YOU CAN'T BLOW OUT A FIRE!" Our continuing winds of change will blow the flames higher... RESIST - DEFY - PERSIST!
Yeah, Frank!
WE HOPE
I thought Jonathan Capehart got it exactly right on the News Hour last night. Elevating Stephen Miller is Chump's way of saying F-you to the entire country for their landslide rejection of him. Two (or more) can play.
Go Blue Poems
Tuesday's referendum wasn't only about the war
It was about you not caring or knowing the score
Your vanity projects are putting lipstick on a pig
The country has never seen corruption this big
We'll over turn Citizens' United and stop its corrupt funding
Billionaires won't determine what's said or who's running
The fact you are making Steven Miller Chief of Staff
Is an F. U. to America, but we'll have the last laugh
You think you're untouchable because of your position
It won't be about retribution following the transition
We will be seeking justice and, of course, restitution
We'll claw back your powers and restore the institution
Subpoenas & depositions are coming for your family
The shady deals made were a shameful calamity
All this was done with a backdrop to our suffering
Paying higher prices because of all the goffering
A president who has tripled his wealth on our dime
You have taken advantage of us for the last time
Steven Miller's dastardly actions won't work
It makes us more determined for treating us like a jerk
Even the Republicans left know the true score
They won’t all support you like they did before
You must realize that you can't skip out on this bill
Because there will be a new watch dog on Capitol Hill
Your days of wine and roses have taken a toll
We are coming for the money that you stole
The ballroom and the gold won't stay in the Whitehouse
It is not a memorial to you. It is the people's house
We don't erect Monuments to abusers of women and children
Once the Epstein files are released there will be retribution
Your supporters will be the ones leading the charge
There is no place you can hide from news this large
Justice is patient but only if there is accountability
A bipartisan effort will help fulfill our constitutional duty
Justice is blind but she also carries a sword
Patience is a virtue but its time you can't afford
Awesome!
The first person they should put under oath is Elon Musk. The second thing they should do is put Les Wexner under oath in regard to Jeffrey Epstein
ELON MUSK bought and paid for GREG ABBOTT and his privileged treatment.
Too much environmental destruction and continued SPACE X flops.
HOWARD NUTLICK (sic) denied having any relationship with EPSTEIN after visiting his apartment - he lied! Visited EPSTEIN'S ISLAND and had BUSINESS with him - should have been discharged.
JOHN SUNUNU, LOBBYIST defeated in his NEW HAMPSHIRE run for SENATE, denied knowing EPSTEIN, but EPSTEIN commented that 'he had good stories.' What was their relationship? Lots of EPSTEIN supporters contributed to JOHN SUNUNU's campaign.
Why is TODD BLANCHE/DOJ refusing to provide EPSTEIN FILES to our ALLIES?
Why is TODD BLANCHE/DOJ obstructing the NEW MEXICO investigation of ZORRO RANCH?
Now we have to have strong leadership in the House and Senate. Jeffries and Schumer are not up to the job!!! They continue to cry for bipartisanship with the very people who have destroyed this country. THEY MUST BE REPLACED!!!!
Like Elizabeth Warren said, "first you win" then you DELIVER.
Clearly a good percentage of Trump voters crossed over the side of justice and respect. It renews my faith in humanity - that one can right their wrongs and that the vote is the best way to do that. And as a postscript - I am so jazzed by the number of women elected to public office - no agenda just the ability to prioritize country over self.
So am I, love it
Steven Miller should be first, Hegseth has already been there with nothing to show and trump should be subpoenaed too along with his worthless family and that includes his wife!
will the democrats open up the Epstein papers?
It’s a fair question. Garcia has already named Epstein’s co-conspirators as targets, Wyden is going after Epstein’s bankers once he has the gavel.
Like Scott wrote, Epstein survivors who never got a public hearing should finally get one. Democrats take control of those subpoenas in January, and we’ll keep you posted on every step.
We can hardly wait. They WILL be held accountable because we WILL be watching!
A VERY BIG THANK YOU
Trump and Blanche have ignored court orders to release these files. They have ignored the act that required the release of these files. They will defy Congress again. That’s a give.
I’m convinced that Trump’s impeachment is inevitable. He doesn’t feel compelled to comply with the law and frankly, he would rather see the country die that admit error or face accountability.
Follow KATIE PHANG's lawsuit and TODD BLANCHE's ducking.
More women have stepped forward to accuse tRump including a Miss Switzerland, now an adult, claiming tRump raped her - there are other women as well.
TODD BLANCHE will be disbarred when this is over, along with others.
Way to go, Scott! Maybe the first should be Susie Wiles, at the center of the regime. All the Cabinet heads will double speak till they turn purple (they certainly won't turn blue).
Most of my excitement was how much of the country turned blue; but we can't squander this opportunity! Lots of people voted for their lost money or health insurance, so they need to see good things come to fruition!
The countdown to January continues!
The MAGA MAGGOTS anticipated that voters were stupid and going to re-elect them....planned a government funding bill for DECEMBER!
Let's pay attention to what they include in their solution.
tRump BOOBS are promoting an expansion of NUCLEAR WEAPONS which will provoke other nations to respond. That needs to be stopped and the PENTAGON GRAVY TRAIN needs to be slashed.
Scott a question slightly off-topic. So many of us are tired of Schumer and Jefferies. Don’t trust them to Fight for us. Who do you think would be better leaders for the house and Senate? I’m just now coming to understand that these are positions that we might not want to waste on current talent in other areas… But Lordy Lordy I just don’t trust those guys with HJ’s meeting with Kushner and aipac and Schumer not being willing to shut down the government and his Dedication to Israel. We need people in that position who are not compromised and are working for the will of we the people.
Love to hear your opinion on this you probably have already written about it.
Thanks for your time and everything you do!!
I so agree and wonder myself. Can't let Jeffries be speaker. I don't have any faith either in Schumer and Jeffries. And Republicans showed no mercy; no compromises, no concern for what Trump was doing to this Country. Action, not words!
I agree but we have to be careful and not dilute the win by splintering the dem party. Dems and dem socialists MUST BOTH check their egos at the door in January and work with unity of purpose, with eyes solely on issues like accountability, social programs getting re-funded and restored; the total scrapping and rebuilding of immigration policy; restoring protections to our environment and strongly “re-regulating” and curtailing corporate pollution of and destruction to our natural world and climate; strengthening and amending the Constitution where needed; releasing the Epstein files and prosecuting offenders and their enablers; etc.
We can’t do that if we’re infighting. We must proceed wisely, and not lose sight of the “enemy”: MAGA still dwells in the executive and judicial branches - we must stay focused.
That said, if Hakeem tries to “deal” with Donnie, he needs a pie in the face and a kick in the ass - and demotion from speaker of the house.
Excellent Saturday edition. Thank you. I probably am oversimplifying; however, I think congressional focus on Epstein's finances will lead to the very same criminals enmeshed in Trump's dealings, as in the sex-trafficking operation never ceased; it's just buried deeper & more widespread. I tend to think most investigations will circle back to Epstein. The graft & grifting of trump 1.0 & 2.0 is second only to the human cost of this nightmare regime. All has to be acknowledged & remedied. It's a lot AND it's manageable with good people working together toward Justice for ALL.
this all sounds good but what about what they are going to do to bring prices down; help the folks who have been put in detention; bring home the folks that ICE captured and sent to other countries; put the ice people that killed Americans in prison; if what they spend all their time on investigating people what about all the folks who are suffering?
They can walk and chew gum at the same time. They are going after all affordability and accountability. Yahoo
You need to expand your sources of information!
Our local PBS STATION offered interviews with DEMS about their PRIORITIES beginning with RESTORING HEALTHCARE and SUBSIDIES, RESTORING FOOD PROGRAMS and much else.
This will reduce energy costs:
$156 million for Mass. solar projects in limbo after courts say EPA illegally withheld funds
Two federal judges have ruled the EPA illegally canceled the Solar for All grant program. Massachusetts had been awarded $156 million to expand access to solar energy in low-income communities. Despite the court rulings in September, the fate of that money remains uncertain. Read more.
After fighting tRump et al. these 2 OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT are operational and will reduce energy costs:
Full blown: Vineyard Wind, the 62-turbine offshore wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts, is now fully up and running. WBUR's Miriam Wasser broke the news this morning that the project quietly reached full commercial operations last Thursday, Oct. 29. Miriam has more here on the long and sometimes bumpy journey it took for Vineyard Wind to reach this milestone.
The news came just hours after Revolution Wind, a slightly smaller wind farm nearby with contracts with Connecticut and Rhode Island, announced it had reached full power Thursday. The two projects combined have the capacity to generate enough electricity for 750,000 homes.
This offers some of the PRIORITIES:
After sweeping midterm wins, here's what Democrats hope to get done in the majority
https://www.wbur.org/npr/nx-s1-6029331/democrats-have-a-long-to-do-list-when-they-take-over-congress-next-year?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WBURToday_Editorial_110626&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.wbur.org%2fnpr%2fnx-s1-6029331%2fdemocrats-have-a-long-to-do-list-when-they-take-over-congress-next-year&utm_id=246189&sfmc_id=24374920&mid=546001099