Congressional Democrats are preparing to use subpoena power against private companies and individuals as an end around the resistance they expect from the Trump administration. Four people familiar with the planning told MS NOW that the strategy is intended to reach evidence beyond government hands.

Democrats are mapping investigations into what they describe as rampant corruption and lawbreaking during the second Trump administration. The sources received anonymity to discuss internal strategy and said they expect President Donald Trump and his appointees to refuse demands for documents and testimony.

They also consider it unlikely that the Trump Justice Department would prosecute anyone for defying a congressional subpoena. According to the sources, the federal government could pay any fines that Congress or a court might impose following a contempt finding.

But potentially significant evidence also sits outside the administration, including in correspondence files and email accounts belonging to corporations, law firms and former officials. Democrats believe those outside parties will be much more likely to comply with subpoenas.

“We can expect subpoenas to go after internal corporate communications, as well as communications between corporate executives and administration officials,” said Daniel Suleiman, a former DOJ official at the Covington and Burling law firm who represents companies in congressional investigations.

Suleiman advised companies in a client bulletin to contact congressional committee staff proactively if they believe they could face scrutiny. Companies appear to be listening, with a senior congressional aide telling MS NOW, “I just have done 15 meetings in the last 72 hours with corporate counsel.”

The challenge for Democratic staffers is deciding which subjects deserve priority among dozens of possible investigative targets. House Judiciary Committee Democrats have written 194 letters over the last two years seeking information, while House committee staffers were instructed to prepare plans covering their first hundred days.

The resulting proposals were hardly modest. As the senior aide put it, “everybody turned in 15 years worth of work,” reflecting the sprawling range of issues that Democrats could pursue once hearings begin.

Potential investigations include alleged corruption and self dealing by the Trump family and close associates. Democrats are also considering alleged pay to play arrangements involving Trump connected lawyers and lobbyists who were paid to influence pardons, contracts, investigations or regulatory policy.

Other possible targets include Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses of force, detention and surveillance. Democrats also are examining law firms, media companies and universities that reached agreements with the Trump administration, along with the Iran war and War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s purge of generals.

Democrats said they expect companies and private individuals to provide crucial documents and testimony in many of these areas. Government corruption was among the top concerns cited by voters to pollsters, according to the interviews and public comments described by MS NOW.

Trump connected lawyers reportedly have received millions of dollars to lobby for pardons, contracts and antitrust relief. Congressional Democrats believe the companies and individuals making those payments will have little choice but to explain how much they paid and what they thought they received.

Congressional aides said lawyers at large firms, academics and other experts have contacted them with offers to assist the investigations. Still, exactly which subjects will receive the first hearings early next year has not been decided.

“There are so many issues that have been highlighted and flagged and they can’t possibly go after all of them,” Sulieman said. “So I am looking to see what the caucus coalesces around in terms of their top priorities. We will know that soon, because they will tell us.”

Trump officials have accused Democrats of making improper threats, with Attorney General Todd Blanche threatening Sunday to prosecute members of Congress over what he called intimidation. Blanche did not explain which laws he believed might have been violated.

“They’re talking about going after companies, private companies who happen to have made investments in this country over the past couple years. That is not oversight. I welcome oversight,” Blanche said Sunday on CNN.

Blanche also cited comments from Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who argued that Democrats should pursue selected accountability cases involving officials who enabled misconduct. Slotkin later clarified that she wanted prospective administration employees not to engage in illegal activity.

Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee, dismissed Blanche’s warning on Sunday. “They can come after us however they want. We’re not going to be intimidated.”