Terrified Democrats scramble to check their mortgages in fear of next Trump-directed indictment
Democratic lawmaker, afraid of getting targeted, are double-checking their disclosures and freaking out over their finances after President Donald Trump's nemesis, former FBI Director James Comey, was indicted.
As longtime opponents of President Donald Trump get embroiled in investigations under his administration, some Democrats worry they may have illegally filed their financial forms, potentially opening them up to prosecution.
Comey was indicted on charges of making false statements to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding for comments he made under oath in 2020, just before their statute of limitations expired.
Comey has denied the allegations and is expected to turn himself in for an arraignment hearing on October 9.
Other Trump foes like Sen. Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, the president's former National Security Advisor John Bolton and ex-Georgia district attorney Fani Willis, just to name a few, are all under federal investigation.
The probes have sparked fears among rank-and-file Democrats on Capitol Hill that, if they unlawfully submitted tax or financial documents, in addition to other illegal activity, they too could face federal prosecution from Trump's administration.
'Many are ... going through mortgages, tax returns, etc.,' one anonymous senior House Democrat told Axios of conversations among worried liberal lawmakers.
'I've explored liability insurance,' another unnamed Democratic lawmaker said. 'And so have other members [in case] they come after us legally.'
Democrats are worried they could fear prosecution under Trump's administration
One anonymous House Democrat warned that it would be prudent for high-profile liberals, such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to re-check their taxes and finances for any potentially unlawful or improper disclosures
Trump has said for years he is the victim of lawfare - politically-inspired legal prosecution - particularly from the Biden administration, whose FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in 2022 and opened up several cases against the president, many of which were historical firsts.
Vice President JD Vance noted over the weekend on Fox News Sunday how more indictments will be forthcoming over the course of Trump's second term.
'Well, there's certainly gonna be more indictments coming over the next three and a half years of the Trump administration, but we're always going to let the law drive this stuff, and the facts of the case, and not political motivations,' Vance said Sunday.
'Which frankly makes us so much different from the Biden administration, where they indicted not just the president of the United States but so many people who were engaged in policymaking,' he continued.
Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., told Axios he 'absolutely' believes some members of Congress are going to be 'targets for this retribution purge.'
He admitted 'more prominent targets' would be 'wise' to review their personal finances for any potential problems.
Others were worried that the Republican administration could bring trumped-up charges against them even without any unlawful activity.
'Obviously, I think there is a worry that ... this administration is going to dive into your stuff and kind of trump up some bogus charge just because you were critical of the president,' Rep. Gil Cisneros, D-Calif., told the outlet.
Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted last week on charges he made false statements to Congress in 2020. The case has struck fear into the hearts of some lawmakers who are afraid of retribution
Both Huffman and Cisneros stated they don't have any financial disclosure issues to worry about.
The president even urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to explore complaints against Comey, James and Schiff in a Truth Social post last week.
'They're all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,' the president wrote.
Already, the Justice Department is investigating Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., for allegedly assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during a scuffle at a Newark detention facility. She has denied the charges.
Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., told Axios he 'did a big push ... to educate members on liability issues, and many purchased professional liability insurance.'
