Special Poll
Democrats Investigate Trump’s Request for Campaign Contributions from Big Oil
House Democrats are launching an investigation into former President Trump’s request for $1 billion in campaign funds from major oil companies.
Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, sent letters to the CEOs of eight energy companies and an oil lobbying group. These companies and the group reportedly attended a dinner with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort last month.
According to various reports, including one from The Hill, Trump asked the industry to raise $1 billion to support his presidential campaign during this dinner. The Washington Post, which first reported the story, mentioned that Trump pitched this as a beneficial “deal” for the industry, highlighting the potential savings on taxes and regulations under his administration.
While a source told The Hill that the discussion wasn’t framed as a direct quid pro quo, Raskin described it as an “unvarnished quid pro quo offer” in his letters to the energy executives.
Adding to the controversy, a separate Politico report claimed that the oil industry was involved in drafting executive orders for Trump to sign. Raskin’s letters suggested that the companies “may have already accepted or facilitated Mr. Trump’s explicit corrupt bargain.”
As the minority party in the House, Democrats have limited investigative powers. Nevertheless, Raskin requested detailed information from the companies, including any discussions about campaign contributions at the dinner and any policy documents they prepared for Trump.
A spokesperson for the American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas lobbying group, did not confirm whether they would comply with the committee’s request but noted that the organization meets with candidates “from across the political spectrum on topics important to our industry.”
Similarly, a spokesperson for Venture Global stated that the firm engages with bipartisan officials and would “welcome a similar conversation with President Biden at any time.”