This week, BSG Partner Michael Zona wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal advising C-Suite executives to be prepared for increased oversight and investigation activity in the next Congress:
American corporations have spent the past two years cultivating relationships with the Trump administration. If Democrats reclaim the House or Senate next year, those relationships could come under congressional scrutiny.
Axios recently reported that House and Senate Democrats are discussing coordinated investigations—including subpoenas—into companies, colleges and law firms that cooperated with the administration. Politico reported that firms seen as close to the administration are hiring Democratic lobbyists and preparing for scrutiny. The message from Democrats isn’t subtle: Cooperation with the administration may be grounds for inquiry.
Congressional investigations always intensify after power shifts. Between 2019 and 2021, after Democrats took the House, it held more than 405 oversight hearings and submitted more than 1,318 requests for information. Democrats dropped the word “government” from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Then-Chairman Elijah Cummings said that reflected “our true jurisdiction, which covers both government and the private sector.”