Raskin to Chair House Judiciary, Warns Law Firms That Caved to Trump of Subpoenas

Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland is poised to chair the House Judiciary Committee when Democrats take control of the House in January 2027. Raskin House Judiciary leadership would give the Maryland Democrat one of Congress's most powerful oversight posts, and he has already warned the law firms that struck deals with President Donald Trump to expect subpoenas.

The warning came on MS NOW on Wednesday night, November 4, 2026, two days after Democrats swept both chambers in the midterm elections. Raskin said firms including Paul Weiss "capitulated to these coercive tactics" and "surrendered and made all sorts of outrageous concessions."

Key Points

• Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the House Judiciary Committee's ranking member, is poised to become chair when Democrats take the House majority in January 2027.
• On MS NOW on Wednesday night, November 4, Raskin warned law firms that struck deals with President Donald Trump, including Paul Weiss, to expect subpoenas.
• Raskin said the firms "capitulated to these coercive tactics" and "surrendered and made all sorts of outrageous concessions."
• He said he will investigate Trump's pardons, government contracting and the collection of foreign government payments.
• House Majority Leader Steve Scalise warned Republicans on Thursday, November 5, that Democrats are preparing "countless witch hunts."

What Happened

Raskin appeared on MS NOW to discuss what Democratic control of the House will mean for oversight of the Trump administration. The Maryland Democrat is the expected choice to chair the Judiciary Committee when the new Congress convenes in January. The committee oversees the Justice Department, the FBI, the federal courts, immigration and civil rights.

His sharpest words were for the law firms that reached agreements with Trump after he targeted them with executive orders. Paul Weiss was among the firms singled out. Trump's executive order had targeted the firm over the work of Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor who oversaw the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation into Trump's alleged financial crimes. Rather than fight the order in court, the firm struck a deal with the administration.

Background and Context

The confrontation between the Trump administration and the country's leading law firms has been building since the president returned to office. In a series of executive orders, Trump targeted firms he accused of working against his interests, stripping clearances, restricting access to federal buildings and threatening government contracts. Some firms fought back in court and won. Others, including Paul Weiss, chose to negotiate.

The Paul Weiss case became the most closely watched of the deals. The firm's connection to Mark Pomerantz made it a particular target of the president's ire, and the agreement drew fierce criticism within the legal profession, where many lawyers argued the deal would only invite further pressure on others. Raskin served as the lead impeachment manager in Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021.

Raskin House Judiciary: What His Chairmanship Would Mean

A Raskin-led committee would mark a sharp break from the past two years, when the panel hosted Republican investigations of the Biden administration. The Maryland Democrat has already sketched his agenda, and it reaches into the most sensitive areas of the Trump presidency: pardons, which critics say he has used to reward allies; government contracting, where spending has drawn questions about conflicts of interest; and the collection of foreign government payments, which the Constitution bars federal officials from accepting.

Speaking to Capital News Service, Raskin said of the administration: "they have contaminated every aspect of the federal government, and we are going to shine a light on it." By putting Paul Weiss and others on notice before he even holds the gavel, Raskin signals the committee will treat the firms' deals as a subject of legitimate congressional inquiry, not as private arrangements beyond scrutiny.

Reactions and Quotes

Raskin's own words set the tone for the coming oversight fight. On the law firms, he said they "capitulated to these coercive tactics" and "surrendered and made all sorts of outrageous concessions." The language was deliberate: capitulation and surrender, not negotiation, framing the firms as having yielded to pressure.

The Republican response came quickly. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, in his letter to Republican members on Thursday, November 5, warned that Democrats are preparing "countless witch hunts" and told committee chairs to map the likely investigations and targets. The phrase is a staple of Republican criticism, signalling the party will attack the coming investigations as partisan. Neither Paul Weiss nor the White House had publicly responded to Raskin's warning by Friday morning.

Why It Matters

The warning matters first because of the power behind it. The House Judiciary Committee oversees the Justice Department, the FBI and the federal courts, and its chair controls one of the most potent investigative tools in Congress: the subpoena. A chairman who has already named his targets before taking office intends to move fast.

It matters second for the presidency's relationship with the legal profession. The firms that cut deals with Trump did so under the threat of losing clearances, contracts and access. If Congress can compel them to explain those deals under oath, it will test whether private firms can be held publicly accountable for agreements made under presidential pressure. It matters third because of the timing: Democrats take the gavels as the administration faces pressure on several fronts, from the war in Iran to the post-election market sell-off.

What Happens Next

Democrats will formally take control of the House in January 2027, when the new Congress convenes and committee chairs are named. Raskin's elevation to the Judiciary chairmanship is expected to be confirmed as part of that process, though the formal vote has not yet taken place.

Subpoenas to the law firms would be among the committee's earliest and most visible moves, and Raskin has given no indication he intends to wait. Hearings on pardons, contracting and foreign payments are likely to follow, along with document demands to the Justice Department and other agencies. Republicans are already preparing: Scalise's letter suggests the party will frame each inquiry as a partisan attack. For the law firms, the message is clear: the deals bought relief from the president's orders, but not, in Raskin's view, silence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Jamie Raskin?

Jamie Raskin is a Democratic representative from Maryland and the committee's current ranking member. He was the lead impeachment manager in Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021.

When will Raskin become chair of the House Judiciary Committee?

When Democrats take the House majority in January 2027, after their midterm sweep on November 3, 2026.

Which law firms did Raskin warn about subpoenas?

Law firms that struck deals with President Trump, naming Paul Weiss, to expect subpoenas under Democratic control.

Why did Trump target Paul Weiss?

Over the work of Mark Pomerantz, the former prosecutor who oversaw the Manhattan District Attorney's investigation into Trump's alleged financial crimes.

What investigations does Raskin plan to lead?

Trump's pardons, government contracting and foreign government payments. He told Capital News Service the administration has "contaminated every aspect of the federal government."

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