Although the 2026 midterm results end Republican control of Congress—and the congressional subpoena authority that comes with it—they do not end the Republican oversight agenda. As we have seen from Democratic Members in the minority for the last two years, we can expect Republican Members to use oversight as a
Continue Reading Oversight by Other Means: Republican Investigative Tools and Priorities After the Midterms
Perrin Cooke
Perrin Cooke is special counsel in the firm’s Washington, DC office and a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations, Election and Political Law, and Public Policy Practice Groups, with a focus on assisting clients responding to high-profile congressional investigations.
Drawing on his experience in government, most recently as Deputy General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Perrin advises clients on matters presenting significant legal, political, and reputational risks. During the Biden Administration, Perrin served as the lead attorney on oversight matters across two federal agencies. In this capacity, he guided the development of strategic responses to congressional requests and subpoenas touching on a range of topics. Through his work in both government and private practice, Perrin has extensive experience preparing witnesses – including numerous corporate executives, cabinet secretaries, and other senior government officials – appearing in briefings, transcribed interviews, and hearings before congressional oversight committees.
In addition to his investigations practice, Perrin advises clients – including political campaigns, advocacy organizations, trade associations, and corporations – on a wide variety of election and political law compliance matters.
House Armed Services Committee Poised to Ramp Up Oversight of Defense Contractors
The midterm elections are expected to usher in a new wave of congressional oversight, and the House Armed Services Committee seems poised to open significantly more investigations in the 120th Congress than it has in recent years. In a November 4, 2026, statement, Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.)…
Continue Reading House Armed Services Committee Poised to Ramp Up Oversight of Defense ContractorsReady or Not: The Next Wave of Democratic Congressional Investigations Is Coming
For months, Members of Congress, commentators, and companies have previewed what Democratic control of the House and Senate would mean for congressional oversight. Yesterday, voters made it official. In two months, Democrats will hold the gavels in both chambers—and the subpoena power that comes with them.
As we have previously…
Continue Reading Ready or Not: The Next Wave of Democratic Congressional Investigations Is ComingFrom Incident Response to Congressional Response: Preparing for Oversight Before and After a Cybersecurity Incident
In recent years, Congress has become increasingly focused on private sector cybersecurity practices as a matter of public concern and national security, particularly as the cybersecurity threat landscape continues to evolve rapidly. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have demonstrated sustained interest in whether companies appropriately collect, safeguard, and…
Continue Reading From Incident Response to Congressional Response: Preparing for Oversight Before and After a Cybersecurity IncidentRare House Contempt Resolutions Signal Heightened Risks for Private Parties
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives adopted resolutions holding two witnesses in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoenas issued by the House Committee on Ethics in connection with the Committee’s investigation of alleged congressional ethics violations by former Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.). The House acted unanimously…
Continue Reading Rare House Contempt Resolutions Signal Heightened Risks for Private PartiesNew Lawsuit Raises Unresolved Questions About House Civil Subpoena Enforcement
Former Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black has taken the unusual step of filing a lawsuit seeking to preclude the House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from enforcing subpoenas the Committee issued in its investigations related to Jeffrey Epstein. Black’s complaint, which challenges the Committee’s authority to…
Continue Reading New Lawsuit Raises Unresolved Questions About House Civil Subpoena EnforcementSupreme Court Action Revives FCC Media Bureau’s Political Ad Guidance
Late Friday afternoon, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay of the Fourth Circuit’s decision setting aside the FCC Media Bureau’s guidance on entitlement to the lowest unit charge (“LUC”) for certain political ads placed on broadcast TV and radio. See our prior post about this issue here. Notably…
Continue Reading Supreme Court Action Revives FCC Media Bureau’s Political Ad GuidanceThe Procedural Puzzle Complicating the Fauci Contempt Referral
As widely reported, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress following his appearance before the Committee in July, where he refused to answer the Committee’s questions by asserting his rights under the Fifth Amendment. At the same time, the…
Continue Reading The Procedural Puzzle Complicating the Fauci Contempt ReferralFourth Circuit Sets Aside FCC Media Bureau Guidance on Lowest Unit Charge; FCC Asks the Supreme Court to Step In
On August 25, 2026, a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit set aside guidance by the FCC’s Media Bureau stating that two types of political advertising were entitled to the favorable “lowest unit charge” (“LUC”) rate: ads paid for as “party coordinated expenditures,” meaning…
Continue Reading Fourth Circuit Sets Aside FCC Media Bureau Guidance on Lowest Unit Charge; FCC Asks the Supreme Court to Step InOLC Opinion Would Extend Executive Privilege to Include Private Advisers, Inviting Future Disputes with Congress and New Considerations for Private Parties
The Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (“OLC”) has issued a new legal opinion that may offer the administration new tools to withhold from disclosure the President’s communications with certain private parties. In an opinion published this week, OLC concluded that the presidential communications privilege shields from disclosure certain…
Continue Reading OLC Opinion Would Extend Executive Privilege to Include Private Advisers, Inviting Future Disputes with Congress and New Considerations for Private Parties