Senate Democrats say they will investigate former President Trump’s request for the oil industry to raise $1 billion in campaign money for him.
On Thursday, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (DI), chairmen of the Finance and Budget committees respectively, indicated they would investigate the question Trump made at a campaign event in March. a-Lago last month.
They asked eight energy companies and an industry lobby group for materials given to event attendees, any policy proposals discussed at the event and donations from the companies or their PACs.
The Washington Post, which first reported the request, said Trump told the companies it would be a “deal” for oil executives because of the tax cuts and relaxed regulations he would implement.
A source who spoke to The Hill said this comment was not intended as a quid pro quo.
However, Whitehouse and Wyden accused the oil industry in their letter of “deliberating on how campaign funds could be traded for policy changes.”
A House Democrat recently announced a similar investigation, but with Democrats serving as the minority party in the House of Representatives and the majority in the Senate, Wyden and Whitehouse will have more power to conduct the investigation.
The American Petroleum Institute (API), the oil and gas lobby group to whom Democrats wrote, described the Democrats’ efforts as an “election stunt to distract from America’s need for more energy.”
“API meets with candidates and policymakers to discuss the need for sound energy policy, and this meeting was no different,” spokesperson Andrea Woods said in a written statement.
“Our policy priorities are clear – on our website; in speeches, statements and public events; in regulatory filings and court filings – and we will continue to advocate for policies that strengthen America’s energy advantage.”
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