Trump’s Sleazy $1 Billion Shakedown of Oil Execs cries out for more scrutiny from Congress.
Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who has been presiding over hearings into the oil industry as chair of the Budget Committee, says it’s “highly likely” that the committee will examine the new revelations.
“This is practically an invitation to ask more questions,” Whitehouse told me, describing this as a “natural extension of the investigation already underway.”
There’s plenty to explore.
As the Postreports, an oil company executive at the gathering, held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort last month, complained about environmental regulations under the Biden administration.
Then this happened:
Trump’s response stunned several of the executives in the room overlooking the ocean:
You all are wealthy enough, he said, that you should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House.
At the dinner, he vowed to immediately reverse dozens of President Biden’s environmental rules and policies and stop new ones from being enacted, according to people with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation.
Giving $1 billion would be a “deal,” Trump said, because of the taxation and regulation they would avoid thanks to him, according to the people.
#quidproquo #sleazy #bigoil
https://newrepublic.com/article/181493/trump-big-oil-campaign