Key facts
- Reitz told Warren to preserve all potentially relevant evidence related to efforts to suppress associational activities tied to Trump.
- Reitz gave Warren until November 23 to confirm she received the letter and preserved the requested records.
- Reitz said failure to preserve the records may result in legal consequences.
- Warren will take over as chair of the Senate Banking Committee next year, per the report.
- Reitz is a former chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
- White House communications director Steven Cheung said Democrats are looking to weaponize their positions against people close to Trump.
Aaron Reitz, the US attorney for the Southern District of Texas, sent Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) a letter posted on X on November 15, 2026, warning of potential legal consequences over her plans to investigate President Trump and his allies and demanding she preserve documents tied to her congressional oversight efforts. Reitz accused Warren of preparing to target those associated with Trump when she takes over as chair of the Senate Banking Committee next year, describing her in the letter as being "on the warpath to wield her committee gavel like a tomahawk, seeking the scalps of those who associate 'too closely' with President Trump."
Reitz's letter and accompanying post referenced Trump's attacks on Warren over her past claims of Native American heritage. "Congressional investigations can't be used to punish Americans for exercising their 1A rights," he wrote on X. "My first arrow shot." The letter cited Warren's November 8 appearance on CBS News's Face the Nation, nearly a week after the midterm elections, where she said Democrats would pursue investigations after reclaiming control of Congress. "If you've been making your profits by cheating American families and scamming your investors, you better get ready for some investigations, serious ones," Warren told host Margaret Brennan.
Reitz, a former chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), argued the remarks sent a "strong smoke signal" that Warren intended to target private individuals close to Trump. "You are obligated to preserve all potentially relevant evidence related to your efforts to suppress associational activities related to President Trump and the Trump Administration," he wrote, adding that failure to do so may result in legal consequences. He gave Warren, who has not been accused of a crime, until November 23 to confirm she received the letter and preserved the requested records. Reitz issued similar warnings to Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) in the prior week.
The White House backed Reitz's warning on November 15. "Democrats like Elizabeth Warren are looking to weaponize their positions against people who are simply close to President Trump or work with him," White House communications director Steven Cheung wrote on X. "This is nothing more than an extension of their political witch-hunt that has gone on for far too long."