The Democratic Party plans to investigate Apple, Meta, and Musk, as Trump's Silicon Valley allies face "liquidation."

The close relationship between Trump and Silicon Valley is becoming a breakthrough point for investigations after the Democratic Party regains control of Congress.

According to a report by The Washington Post on November 6, after winning a majority in both houses of Congress, the Democratic Party is quickly determining its investigative priorities. The House of Representatives is preparing to investigate Trump's use of the AI chatbot Grok, owned by Musk, to plan a military operation to abduct Venezuelan President Maduro; Apple and Meta are under scrutiny for their respective agreements with ICE tracking applications and local government data centers.

After the news broke, Meta's pre-market stock gains narrowed, Apple briefly fell over 1%, and SpaceX's stock price remained strong.

The scope of the investigation may extend far beyond the three companies mentioned above. Reports indicate that the Democratic Party plans to review the most controversial business activities of large American corporations over the past two years, focusing on the relationships between these companies and the Trump administration. Since Trump's second term, tech billionaires and corporate executives have frequently attended White House events, donated to Trump's planned banquet hall project, and given gifts; meanwhile, several companies invested in by Trump family members and Wall Street executives have received billions of dollars in government funding.

From the Democratic Party's perspective, the business dealings between corporations and the government may become an important entry point for investigating related interests. A memo from the think tank Groundwork Collaborative lists large tech companies, private prison operators, and gas companies as "high-value" targets for investigation, citing reasons such as what these companies provided to Trump, what they received from the Trump administration, and what business activities they may have been involved in.

Winter is here! Corporate executives urgently hire lawyers

Although the investigation has not officially begun, companies are already preparing for congressional inquiries.

The Washington Post cites congressional staff, lobbyists, venture capitalists, and lawyers familiar with the preparations, stating that several law firms in Washington are providing advice to corporate founders and executives on how to respond to congressional investigations through emergency online meetings and gatherings. Several law firms are also vying to become Musk's personal legal advisors, believing that the investigations surrounding him may lead to numerous subpoenas and high-profile legal business.

Some venture capitalists have advised Silicon Valley startups to complete their financing by the end of the year to prevent executives from being required to attend congressional hearings or to mitigate the impact of Pentagon spending plan adjustments on corporate funding sources.

Democratic lawmakers have also sent strong signals. Robert Garcia, who is set to become the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, warned related companies on election night to "hire lawyers"; Senator Ed Markey stated that tech company executives will need to prepare a large amount of paperwork for the subpoenas that Congress is about to issue.

The Washington legal community expects that the Democratic control of both houses of Congress will accelerate the pace and intensity of investigations. Jamie Bair, head of the congressional investigation practice at Crowell & Moring, stated that sending detailed inquiries to companies may be more effective than sending letters to Trump administration departments, as companies are more likely to respond and disclose interactions with government officials.

Apple, Meta, X, and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Washington Post.

Robert Kelner, a lawyer at Covington & Burling, stated that the Democratic Party's wave of investigations is almost a foregone conclusion, and corporate clients are hiring lawyers and determining legal protection priorities. "We have been telling clients that winter is coming. Now, winter has arrived."