Democrats, Eyeing Control, Lay Grounds for Post-Election Probes

Congressional Investigations attorney Arya Hariharan was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article about how the upcoming midterm election results could affect congressional oversight of private sector businesses. If the Democrats regain control of one or both chambers of Congress, companies across healthcare, financial services and private equity can expect an uptick in scrutiny over cost of living concerns, surveillance pricing, artificial intelligence and consumer protection. Arya, who previously served as chief oversight counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, forecasted lawmakers will target agriculture, food prices and safety, data centers and energy costs based on dozens of letters already sent to large retailers and firms. She described the strategy behind inquiries that focus on hot-button topics like affordability.

"You have to make sure that whatever oversight you engage in, it either confronts issues that are why Americans are feeling the pinch or is going to tug at their heartstrings," she said. "If it doesn't do either of that or it's not paired well, they will lose interest. It just won't land."

Arya also warned about the high stakes of participating in hearings and testifying before Congress.

"A hearing where you testify that goes badly? It's hard to recover as an individual and sometimes as a company," she stated.

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