(USNewsBreak.com) – Former President Donald Trump has consistently remained in the media since he left office. He’s facing four criminal trials, including one currently underway in New York, and is running for the Oval Office again this year. Now, however, he’s the subject of a House probe after a media outlet ran a story detailing his dinner with Big Oil executives, in which he allegedly asked them to donate to his campaign.
The Dinner Story
On May 9, The Washington Post published an article detailing how Trump allegedly made promises to oil executives in exchange for campaign donations. The dinner reportedly took place at Mar-a-Lago in April, when one lamented the strain of the environmental regulations they were facing even though they spent hundreds of millions to lobby against them. Those who attended came from top oil companies such as Chevron, Exxon, Cheniere Energy, Venture Global, and Occidental Petroleum.
The article, citing anonymous sources, claimed that Trump offered them a proposal: raise $1 billion for his campaign, and he would overturn Biden Administration policies and prevent the passage of new ones when he’s back in the White House. He said that raising the money for him would be a “deal” because, under his leadership, they would avoid regulations and taxation.
Article Triggers Questions
The Washington Post article triggered action in the House. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) announced in a press release that he was seeking information from Big Oil executives about any “quid pro quo propositions made by former President Donald Trump.” He posted an excerpt of his letter, citing the article and “media reports [that] raise significant potential ethical, campaign finance, and legal issues” that would stem from such contributions.
Raskin said that “solicitation of payments in exchange for an explicit promise of specific future official actions” isn’t outside the realm of Trump’s behaviors. He cited a January 2024 staff report that indicated the former president received nearly $8 million in payments that violated the Constitution’s foreign Emoluments Clause for directing foreign policy in favor of foreign states.
The Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability requested the CEOs to provide a list of company individuals who attended the dinner, any materials shared or distributed to attendees, and a description of “all policy proposals” the attendees discussed. He’s also asking them to describe discussions centered on campaign contributions and any policy or executive order drafts provided or proposed to the former president or his staff. He’s requesting the information by May 27.
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