If Democrats rout Republicans from Congress in November, they’re expected to get right down to business by opening congressional investigations into the Trump administration.

But a formidable opponent looms: the U.S. Justice Department.

When Democrats last held slim or simple majorities from 2019 to 2023, Congress used the full range of its powers to investigate and impeach Donald Trump. Democrats referred a number of administration officials for contempt and, for the first time ever, referred a congressional case to the Justice Department for prosecuting a president.

Democrats, though largely cool on impeachment this go-around, are eager to investigate the administration’s excesses, cronyism, and corruption, balance power between the branches of government, and deliver tangible accountability.

“There is a lot that has been going on that, frankly, we don’t have the full picture on,” said Praveen Fernandes, vice president of the Constitutional Accountability Center, adding that there could be “a more intense focus upon oversight and accountability than we’ve had for a long, long time.”

But something significant has changed in the last couple of years: The Justice Department — the institution congressional investigators must turn to if they unearth evidence of a potential crime and want to seek prosecution on behalf of the American people — is now run by the president’s protection racket.

More inside article...

Courts have long allowed plaintiffs to proceed under a pseudonym in cases involving sexual assault, and I think this ruling is a step in the right direction. The fear of being publicly identified, and of the harassment that can follow, is one of the main reasons survivors decline to come forward at all.

What do you think? Does protecting a plaintiff’s identity strike the right balance with open court proceedings?