Rep. Jamie Raskin seeks information from oil companies on donor meeting with Trump
One of former President Donald Trump’s top critics in Congress is asking major oil companies for more information about a meeting Trump had with their executives in which he allegedly promised to roll back environmental regulations if they spend $1 billion on his campaign.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, announced Tuesday that he sent letters to nine companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron and the American Petroleum Institute, the lobbying arm for oil and gas companies.
The letters came after the Washington Post reported that Trump met with oil executives and told them they would get a good deal if they raised $1 billion for his campaign because they would make far more money when he rolled environmental back regulations once he got in office.
Andrea Woods, a spokesperson for the American Petroleum Institute, wrote in an email to USA TODAY that the organization "meets with policymakers and candidates from across the political spectrum on topics important to our industry,” including “energy security.”
Raskin wrote in his letters that “media reports raise significant potential ethical, campaign finance and legal issues” and accused Trump of trying to sell energy policy for donations. A spokesperson did not elaborate on what Raskin’s specific concerns are when asked for clarification by USA TODAY.
A big-spending industry, but not the biggest
The energy industry has pumped $136.8 million into the 2024 election, with the vast majority going to Republicans and right-leaning groups, according to an analysis by Open Secrets. The leading donors are Koch Industries ($28.6 million), Crownquest Operating ($6.2 million), Occidental Petroleum ($5.2 million) and Chevron ($5 million).
While spending big money is common in politics, the energy industry is far behind industries like finance and health care, according to the Open Secrets analysis, which have spent $1 billion and $168 million, respectively. The energy industry typically spends between $300 million and $400 million per year among all candidates and interest groups — far less than the $1 billion sum Trump allegedly proposed to oil executives.
“President Trump is supported by people who share his vision of American energy dominance to protect our national security and bring down the cost of living for all Americans,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. She criticized President Joe Biden’s support for electric vehicles as part of a “radical energy agenda.”
President Joe Biden, who has made combatting climate change and promoting clean energy production a hallmark of his administration, has taken a somewhat different approach to developing fossil fuel energy than Trump. In January, for example, the White House paused certain exports of liquefied natural gas until the Department of Energy could complete a review.
The move essentially reversed the Trump administration’s endorsement of these types of shipments through 2050. Trump, who famously selected oil executive Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state in 2016, reportedly told the oil executives he would end that pause on his first day.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamie Raskin asks Exxon, Chevron, API about donor meeting with Trump