The Justice Department escalated its confrontation with Congress on Wednesday, ordering Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., to preserve all records related to his ongoing investigation into private funding for the White House ballroom project.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Aaron Reitz issued the directive, warning of “significant legal consequences” if the senator fails to comply with the demand, as reported by NBC News.
The dispute centers on Blumenthal’s recent inquiry into donors who contributed to the estimated $400 million construction project on White House grounds. Reitz, a former chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, characterized the senator’s investigative efforts as a misuse of congressional authority to harass citizens for their association with the President.
In a letter posted to X, Reitz alleged that Blumenthal was effectively wielding his subcommittee’s power as a weapon against private Americans.
Trent McCotter, the acting deputy attorney general and the second-highest-ranking official at the Justice Department, publicly backed the move. “The First Amendment expressly prohibits Congress from infringing the speech and association rights of Americans,” McCotter wrote on X, adding that the department would defend against threats to those rights.
A Justice Department spokesperson later said that the agency routinely requests record preservation when public officials engage in what they described as extreme actions to suppress philanthropic practices.
The First Amendment expressly prohibits Congress from infringing the speech and association rights of Americans. DOJ will defend against threats to those rights, period.
Blumenthal Rejects Justice Department Characterization and Vows Continued Oversight
Blumenthal, who serves as the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, rejected the Justice Department’s characterization of his work. He vowed to continue his oversight of what he termed the administration’s “persistent misuse of taxpayer dollars.”
“The Trump Administration is so afraid of transparency and oversight that they are weaponizing the Department of Justice to baselessly target Congress in direct violation of the Constitution,” Blumenthal wrote in a statement. He maintained that his letters sent last month to identified donors were a standard part of his subcommittee’s mandate to study the economics and efficiency of government operations.
After the election, @SenBlumenthal & his allies think they can intimidate Americans for their constitutionally protected associations w/ President Trump. Congress is not a weapon to be wielded against the American people. I'm taking the first step to stop this abuse of power. pic.twitter.com/SxKJflB1t6
Reitz’s letter explicitly cited the federal conspiracy against rights statute and the federal deprivation of rights under color of law statute. Typically, such aggressive investigative measures against a sitting member of Congress would require an extensive review process by the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Office. However, that office has been significantly reduced and sidelined during the second Trump term.
The Ballroom Funding Controversy
The project at the center of the probe has been a frequent subject of legal and political debate. While President Trump pledged to release a full list of private donors, only a partial list has been made public to date.
Among those who have confirmed their contributions is Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who is currently facing investigations by both his company and the FBI regarding an alleged affair with a suspected Chinese spy.
Despite facing numerous legal challenges, the ballroom project received a definitive green light from the Supreme Court in August, allowing construction to proceed indefinitely.
Reciprocal Demands for Documentation
Responding to the Justice Department’s order on Wednesday night, Blumenthal issued his own record preservation request to Reitz. The senator directed the U.S. attorney to save all records and correspondence linked to the decision to draft and issue the initial letter.
“Since you appear to have evidence of the Trump Administration’s efforts to protect corporate donors and Administration officials from legitimate oversight, I accordingly direct you to preserve all records and correspondence, including all communications with the White House or senior officials at the Department of Justice,” Blumenthal wrote.
The White House, meanwhile, warned congressional Democrats on Wednesday that their continued efforts to investigate the administration’s projects could potentially constitute criminal behavior.
