US attorney and Senate Dem spar in dueling letters demanding records preservation: 'I will not be intimidated'
· Fox News
After U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz issued a letter ordering Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., to preserve materials pertaining to the lawmaker's alleged "intent to deny citizens of their core constitutional rights," the senator responded in kind by ordering Reitz to preserve materials pertaining to the decision to issue his letter.
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"In recent weeks, you have threatened citizens for associating themselves with the President and other public officials," Reitz claimed in his letter to Blumenthal Wednesday.
A footnote points to an October Blumenthal press release about the senator issuing letters demanding information from individuals and the heads of companies that the Washington Post indicated had committed donations for the construction of President Donald Trump's planned White House ballroom project.
"It is also extraordinary for an elected official to intimidate citizens for engaging in philanthropic practices that will benefit our nation for generations. The American people are entitled to freely associate without elected officials terrorizing them with aggressive, harassing government action," Reitz wrote.
"I therefore write to formally give you notice of your obligation to preserve all documents, communications, and other electronically stored information relevant to your intent to deprive citizens of their core constitutional rights in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 and 242.
"You are obligated to preserve all potentially relevant evidence related to your efforts to suppress associational activities for philanthropic projects throughout the nation's capital," the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas demanded.
Blumenthal, the ranking member on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, fired back in a letter to Reitz also dated Nov. 11.
"I am aware of your letter, posted to X today, which purports to initiate an investigation into me for conducting a congressional inquiry. This is just the latest in a series of unlawful actions on the part of the Trump Administration attempting to intimidate Members of Congress for engaging in constitutionally protected activity. Your implied threat of an investigation is baseless," the senator wrote.
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"As incoming Chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I will not be intimidated. I will work on behalf of the American people to vigorously pursue investigations into this Administration’s misuse of taxpayer dollars and any corporate entity that has enabled its boundless corruption," Blumenthal continued.
"The public deserves to know the terms under which dozens of American companies were persuaded to donate millions of dollars to the President’s vanity projects, and whether lawsuits were dismissed, contracts were awarded, or regulations went unenforced in exchange for that money.
"The public deserves transparency about whether the White House and the corporations it cajoled extracted favors at the expense of American taxpayers. Not only are these appropriate subjects for congressional oversight, but such inquiries are among the constitutional duties that Members of Congress must undertake to become informed about matters on which legislation may be necessary."
Then in a tit-for-tat, the senator ordered Reitz to retain all materials related to the decision to issue his 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, related to the decision to draft and post your letter," Blumenthal wrote.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment Thursday.