A bombshell investigation by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew) is scrutinizing Donald Trump’s controversial meeting with oil company executives at Mar-a-Lago last month, where he allegedly solicited a staggering $1 billion campaign contribution in exchange for dismantling environmental regulations.
This explosive revelation has sparked a flurry of inquiries, with Crew’s chief ethics counsel, Virginia Canter, confirming that the group’s lawyers are probing the matter with utmost seriousness.
Crew’s investigation is delving into the troubling details of the meeting, where Trump reportedly vowed to undo Joe Biden’s restrictions on natural gas export permits, oil drilling, and car pollution.
Ethics Inquiry Launched into Trump’s Dinner with Oil Company Executives
The watchdog group is examining whether Trump’s fundraising pitch constitutes a blatant quid pro quo, which would violate the bribery statute. House Democrats have also launched their own inquiry into the Mar-a-Lago dinner, sending letters to nine oil executives seeking information about their companies’ involvement.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, chair of the Senate budget committee, is additionally considering an investigation, denouncing Trump’s actions as an “offer of a blatant quid pro quo” that reeks of political corruption.
Crew has a proven track record of holding Trump and his inner circle accountable, having led the recent effort to force Trump off the presidential ballot in Colorado and sued him for violating the emoluments clauses of the US constitution. The group’s ethics complaints have resulted in reprimands for over a dozen officials in the Trump administration.
As the investigation unfolds, the fossil fuel industry is also under scrutiny, with reports emerging that the US oil industry is preparing for a possible Trump second term by drafting executive orders to unleash offshore oil drilling and boost natural gas exports.
