After winning the election, Democrats will increase criticism of Trump's dealings with big law.
According to Bloomberg Law, the victory of the Democrats in the elections to both houses of Congress opens the door to the investigation of the agreements of the nine major law firms with the White House. Their total stated worth is $940 million in free legal services.
In the new Congress, which begins in January 2027, Democrats will have control of committees and the authority to subpoena documents and testimony.
What is important to know.
Among those who entered into agreements are Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden, Latham & Watkins, Milbank and A&O Shearman. The agreements made it possible to avoid restrictive measures by the administration or resolve complaints about personnel policy. The legislators want to determine the exact terms of the agreements, the content of the free work and the participants in the negotiations.
Three Democratic lawmakers are conducting the review. Jamie Raskin is a member of the House of Representatives from Maryland and the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Richard Blumenthal is a senator from Connecticut and the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Adam Schiff is a senator from California. Raskin and Blumenthal began reviewing the agreements in April 2025, and Schiff later joined them.
Kirkland secured $125 million in services. In a letter released on October 16, lawmakers said the office had not provided any of the requested documents. They are interested in negotiations with Trump's personal lawyer Boris Epstein, work for federal agencies and possible conflicts with clients' interests. Kirkland noted the confidentiality of legal aid and negotiations; Legislators dispute the applicability of these objections.
Skadden, which had secured $100 million in services, faced questions about the compatibility of the work for Intel and the US Commerce Department, which received a stake in the company.