Conservative commentator and Fox News host Mark Levin warned Saturday that Democrats risk violating the Constitution if they use congressional oversight powers to conduct what he described as politically motivated criminal investigations targeting President Donald Trump, his family, administration officials, and private businesses.
Speaking on Life, Liberty & Levin, Levin argued that congressional investigations must serve a legislative purpose and that Democrats' stated intentions suggest they plan to use oversight powers to pursue criminal allegations.
"Congress does not, I repeat, Congress does not have the authority under the Constitution to conduct criminal investigations," Levin said. "That's the executive branch's function."
"The purpose of hearings and oversight is legislative. To determine if legislation is to be drafted and new laws made or old laws amended. That's all. They're a lawmaking body."
Citing Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution, Levin argued that congressional committees cannot use oversight hearings as a substitute for criminal investigations while bypassing constitutional protections.
"In particular, a congressional investigation that is nothing but a cover for a criminal investigation," he said, "and has no real legislative purpose, denies the targeted individual or even witnesses basic and fundamental constitutional rights."
Levin cited the Fifth Amendment's due process protections, the Fourth Amendment's restrictions on unreasonable searches and seizures, and the Supreme Court's decision in Watkins v. United States to support his argument.
He also called on attorneys representing witnesses to demand access to committee records, testimony, investigative materials, and information about individuals involved in gathering evidence.
Levin singled out Rep. Robert Garcia, whom he identified as the incoming chairman of the House Oversight Committee, arguing that Garcia's public statements demonstrated an intention to pursue criminal outcomes rather than legislative oversight.
"If you are a member of the Trump crime family and you're grifting off the American public, you should lawyer up," Garcia said in remarks featured during the program.
Levin also criticized House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, citing his pledge to hold alleged wrongdoers accountable.
"We're committed to accountability and to holding the crooks accountable if you've been stealing from the American people, screwing over the American people, or shortchanging the American people," Jeffries said.
"Congress doesn't hold crooks accountable. Congress doesn't decide if people are crooks," Levin responded.
Levin further cited Rep. Jamie Raskin's allegations of possible criminal wrongdoing involving Trump and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's comments about potential impeachment proceedings.
Asked whether Democrats should pursue Trump's impeachment, Ocasio-Cortez said, "I think we should leave all options on the table. Absolutely."
Levin interpreted the statements as evidence that Democrats intend to expand their investigations beyond Trump administration officials to Supreme Court justices, law firms, corporations, and private citizens.
"We cannot have partisan Democrat politicians, including radicals and communists and so forth, grabbing the reins of the criminal justice system, shredding basic constitutional protections while they pretend that what they're doing, merely congressional oversight, and turn our justice system into a series of Stalinist purges and media show trials," Levin said.