POLITICS DECEMBER 19, 2018 / 12:10 PM / UPDATED 23 MINUTES AGO

Senior House Democrat demands documents from White House

Ginger Gibson
3 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat on the U.S. House of Representatives’ most wide-ranging investigative panel sent 51 letters on Wednesday demanding that the Trump administration provide documents for a wave of investigations expected to gain momentum in January.

Representative Elijah Cummings, who will become chairman of the House Oversight Committee when Democrats take control of the chamber on Jan. 3, was reiterating some requests that had been made in conjunction with Republicans, but not complied with.

The requests marked the start of what promises to be a contentious process between the House and President Donald Trump’s White House. Democratic leaders are expected to launch probes of Trump’s presidency, his personal finances and his family.

The 51 letters give an indication of the kinds of issues that are likely to dominate the Democrats’ agenda.

They cover topics ranging from separation of immigrant children from their parents, the U.S. response to the hurricane in Puerto Rico, lead poisoning of the water in Flint, Michigan, and travel by White House staff and cabinet secretaries.

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