Democrats Win Congress, Launch Corruption Probes Into Trump and Allies Democrats have taken control of Congress and are launching sweeping corruption investigations into President Trump, his family business dealings and allies, with subpoena power and expanded committee staff. Democrats won control of Congress in the midterm elections and are putting corruption investigations at the center of their agenda, vowing to use subpoena power and larger investigative staffs against President Donald Trump and people in his orbit. Democrats Launch Vast Oversight AgendaTrump and the White House have long denied any wrongdoing. House Democrats are preparing a vast oversight agenda examining how Trump and his family have become wealthier since he returned to office. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, in line to become House speaker, has not ruled out trying to impeach Trump for a third time. Months ago, Jeffries tasked Rep.Robert Garcia of California and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrats on the Oversight and Judiciary committees, with leading the effort. Democrats aim to link the costs of public corruption to the affordability concerns hitting Americans pocketbooks. Lawyer up, Garcia posted on X as election results favoring Democrats came in Tuesday night.The Senate is expected to conduct similar investigations. Americans want us to clean up corruption in government, said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. , poised to return as Senate majority leader next year.No American should have to make tradeoffs at the supermarket while Trump is making inside trades on the stock market. Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, outlined five priorities, including Trump family business dealings, the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Rep.Senate Probes Trump Family WealthJared Huffman of California, the ranking Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee, said he wants to dig into Trump's White House ballroom and other construction projects, as well as the Trump family's role in mineral deals. With the House majority comes an infusion of congressional committee staff and resources. The effort is expected to be sprawling, involving House committees with authority to conduct oversight on Cabinet officials and the agencies they lead. In the Senate, Sen.Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. , expected to become chairman of the Homeland Security Committee's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said his panel will look into Trump's real estate projects around the nation's capital and his crypto dealings with special envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff is a longtime ally who partnered with Trump on the president's family cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial.The tentacles of corruption reach deep in this administration, and they have added costs to everyday Americans, Blumenthal said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. Blumenthal added that he also wants hearings on ICE raids, the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency and Medicare plans he says are too restrictive and have cost some patients care. Democratic Sen.Ron Wyden of Oregon, in line to become Senate Finance Committee chairman, listed investigative targets he describes as part of an accountability agenda. They include banks he contends ignored red flags about the financial dealings of Epstein and pharmaceutical companies that have profited from their ties to the Trump administration.Voters Prioritize Corruption And DemocracyWhen I am chair, they will be forced to answer to the Senate Finance Committee for their role in hurting the American people and enabling Trump's corruption, Wyden said in a statement Wednesday. The issue of corruption resonated with voters, according to The AP Voter Poll, which surveyed more than 100,000 voters nationwide.Roughly 4 in 10 voters said the economy was the top issue facing the country, while about 3 in 10 said the state of democracy was the top issue. About half of U.S. voters said government corruption was crucial to their vote for Congress, and most of those voters supported the Democratic candidate in their local U.S. House race, while about one-third said they voted for the Republican.About 8 in 10 voters who said the state of democracy was the top issue facing the country supported the Democrat, while about 2 in 10 supported the Republican. Older voters, those age 65 or older, were more likely than voters under 65 to say the state of democracy was the most important issue, about 4 in 10 compared with about 3 in 10 who said the economy.That view was reversed with younger voters, who were more likely to call the economy the top issue. That explains why anti-corruption played such a central role in Democratic campaigns this cycle, with candidates accusing their Republican opponents of looking out for themselves or their donors rather than a broader constituency. They embraced stock trading bans and bans on former members of Congress becoming lobbyists and promised to be part of an effort to root out corruption.Markets React To Democratic Midterm WinDemocrats face a challenge in focusing on corruption without ignoring cost-of-living issues. In his public comments since his party lost the elections, Trump has taken a conciliatory tone toward Democrats, conceding that they did a good job in their campaigns as he has tried to skirt personal blame for the GOP's midterm thrashing. That could change as investigations ramp up.The Republican Congress that will depart is the least productive one in a generation, said David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush. The Democratic sweep has also created a new political reality for Americans and U.S. allies, including Canada, where officials are watching how the changing landscape will impact trade. A former Canadian ambassador expressed optimism about progress on the trade front following the midterm results.Markets reacted strongly: stocks soared and gas prices plunged after the U.S. midterm results. In Windsor, Ontario, the mayor said it is a happy day and expressed hope that the Democratic sweep could bring trade relief to the region.