The row unfolds amid growing environmental and ethical unease over the former president’s dismantling of climate safeguards and his unabashed push for fossil fuel interests
A fresh political storm is brewing in Capitol Hill after top Democratic lawmakers called for a formal investigation into a series of multi-million-dollar stock purchases by wealthy energy executives with close ties to President Donald Trump’s administration.
The controversy comes as environmental and ethical concerns mount over the former president’s rollback of climate protections and aggressive support for fossil fuel interests, as reported by the Guardian.
Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland on Saturday urged authorities to look into share purchases made earlier this year by Robert Pender and Michael Sabel, co-chairs of LNG company Venture Global. Each reportedly bought nearly $12 million in company stock shortly after meeting with senior Trump administration officials, followed by a key regulatory approval that boosted their company’s liquefied natural gas export business.
Wyden didn’t hold back, describing the timing of the trades as suspicious and drawing parallels to past ethics controversies under Trump. “This latest sequence of events has all the hallmarks of pay-to-play politics,” he told the Guardian, asserting that the American people deserve clarity on whether public office has been used to benefit private fortunes.
Van Hollen echoed those concerns, telling the Guardian that the transactions deserve scrutiny to ensure that government decisions aren’t being tailored to reward well-connected billionaires at the expense of average Americans. Both senators’ comments follow similar calls from Senator Jeff Merkley, who earlier this week urged an insider-trading inquiry.
The White House and the energy executives deny any wrongdoing.
A Venture Global spokesperson cited by the Guardian stated that all stock purchases complied with existing laws and regulations, and the administration insists its actions were lawful.
The episode has put a spotlight on broader tensions in US energy policy. Critics say Trump’s deregulatory agenda, including weakening environmental safeguards and promoting fossil fuel exports, has benefited powerful industry players while sidelining clean energy efforts.
Supporters argue these moves boost American energy competitiveness. With energy costs and climate concerns rising nationwide, the debate shows no signs of cooling.
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