House Democrats plan to open investigations into President Donald Trump’s family crypto businesses once they take control in January, with World Liberty Financial, its Emirati investor and the pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao at the top of the list.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, who will chair the House Oversight Committee, answered the Associated Press call with a two-word statement at 3:18 a.m.: “Lawyer up.” His office said he intends to take on what it calls the “Trump Crime Family” alongside corporate corruption, immigration enforcement abuses and the Epstein files. 

Garcia told Punchbowl News the committee will examine the family’s crypto deals, Donald Trump Jr.’s business dealings and relatives such as Jared Kushner “sitting on boards and getting contracts.”

The difference from the past two years is subpoena power. Democrats have written letters, requested Treasury probes and held shadow hearings; the majority lets them compel documents and testimony from the administration and from private companies without the president’s consent. 

Reuters reported in September that inquiries could begin as early as February, with corporate donors to the White House ballroom and firms that did deals with Trump relatives among the first targets.

World Liberty Financial, the DeFi and stablecoin venture the Trump family launched in September 2024, is expected to come first. Democrats have focused on a $500 million investment by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE national security adviser, whose vehicle took a reported 49% stake shortly before the January 2025 inauguration. 

The stake matters because World Liberty is seeking a federal trust bank charter for its USD1 stablecoin; the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted conditional approval on Aug.

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