Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
A Texas United States attorney is getting a demand to preserve documents from a U.S. senator Thursday after he threatened to investigate a senator who doesn't even live in his state.
The battle began when Aaron F. Reitz sent Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) a letter demanding that he preserve all documents after making threats to Americans, Lawfare's Anna Bower posted on Wednesday.
Those threats are that the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs would be doing oversight hearings regarding some of the spending out of the Department of Homeland Security after it was found that former Secretary Kristi Noem purchased a fleet of jets from a campaign donor and used a political ally to make commercials for DHS.
While Blumenthal and other Democrats intend to investigate many other issues in the coming 120th Congress, Attorney General Todd Blanche has taken the promise of oversight and turned it into claims that Democrats are threatening average Americans.
It reverses the accountability relationship. Congress needs to investigate government conduct to decide whether laws, funding or other corrective action are necessary. So, Reitz threatening the investigator appears to have drawn more attention to himself and his own relationship with President Donald Trump's administration.
Blumenthal sent his own letter saying that Reitz must preserve all documents.
"I am aware of your letter, post on X today, which purports to initiate an investigation into me for conducting a congressional inquiry. This is just the latest in a series of unlawful actions on the part of the Trump Administration attempting to intimidate Members of Congress for engaging in constitutionally protected Activity," wrote Blumenthal, according to another post from Bower.
"Since you appear to have evidence of the Trump administration's efforts to protect corporate donors and administration officials from legitimate oversight, I accordingly direct you to preserve all records and correspondence, including all communication with the White House or senior officials at the Department of Justice, related to the decision to draft and post your letter. Please confirm no later than 6 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2026 that you have received my letter and have taken steps to preserve the materials described above," the letter closes.
The danger for Reitz is making accountability and oversight personally costly enough for elected officials that it becomes attempted intimidation by the White House or Justice Department. That then prompts a legitimate inquiry by Congress.
The Speech or Debate Clause in the U.S. Constitution protects legislative activity from executive or judicial interference. Its purpose is to prevent lawmakers from having to choose between performing their constitutional duties and facing retaliation from the officials they scrutinize.