WASHINGTON (AP) — The leaders of seven House committees are calling on Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to explain why the United States is easing sanctions on companies linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. It's one of the first moves of the new Democratic House to scrutinize President Donald Trump's actions related to Russia.

The Democrats wrote to Mnuchin on Tuesday to ask about a December announcement that the U.S. would lift sanctions on the aluminum manufacturing giant Rusal and two other companies connected to Deripaska. Mnuchin said then that Deripaska would remain blacklisted as...