(TheIndependentStar.com) – Looking to initiate a new witch hunt targeting the GOP candidate, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is currently examining if a recent meeting between former President Donald Trump and oil industry executives at his Mar-a-Lago club could trigger a lawsuit.
During this gathering, Trump reportedly looked to raise $1 billion in campaign donations by promising to dismantle Joe Biden’s environmental regulations on natural gas, oil drilling and vehicle emissions.
CREW’s Chief Ethics Counsel Virginia Canter conveyed the gravity with which the organization views the matter. “We’re taking a very serious look at whether Trump’s fundraising pitch to the oil executives for $1bn would merit some further action,” she said.
Canter also highlighted the worrisome aspects of Trump’s conversation with the oil magnates and pointed to the group’s specificity and the substantial sum discussed.
“This was a very focused small group directed at a particular industry, there was an amount put out there of $1bn, which he described as a deal, which all raises questions about the transactional nature of the meeting,” she added.
This CREW investigation coincided with a parallel inquiry launched by House Democrats. The House oversight committee has issued letters to nine oil executives probing the details of their involvement in the Mar-a-Lago dinner.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Chair of the Senate budget committee with subpoena power, is also contemplating an investigation. He expressed his concern and described Trump’s actions as an explicit “offer of a blatant quid pro quo.”
Whitehouse is exploring measures to prevent the fossil fuel industry from manipulating political agendas at taxpayer expense. “Practically an invitation to ask questions about big oil’s political corruption and manipulation,” he noted.
Regarding legal implications, presidential candidates can request donations and share policy plans with industries that might benefit from them as long as they do not directly promise beneficial actions in exchange for those donations.
Deborah Hellman, a law professor at the University of Virginia, clarified the distinction necessary for invoking the bribery statute. “For him to say ‘I’m doing it because you’re giving me the money’ is a quid pro quo, but to say ‘I’m going to do it, so you should want me to get elected’ is not.”
Amid these investigations into Trump’s conduct, the fossil fuel sector is also under scrutiny. Reports suggest that the industry is anticipating a possible second Trump term by preparing executive orders that would significantly expand oil drilling and natural gas exports.
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