Democrats investigate oil execs' support for Trump campaign funds

Congressional Democrats are probing oil industry executives about their potential contributions to Donald Trump's campaign in exchange for favorable policies.

Ben Lefebvre reports for Politico.

In short:

• Senate Democrats are probing nine oil companies and trade associations regarding potential discussions on industry-friendly policies in exchange for campaign donations to Trump.
• Letters were sent to companies including Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Occidental Petroleum, asking if they provided Trump with policy documents for a potential second term.
• This investigation follows accusations of collusion between Big Oil and OPEC to keep oil prices high.

Key quote:

“Such an obvious policies-for-money transaction reeks of cronyism and corruption.”

— Senators Whitehouse and Wyden

Why this matters:

This investigation focuses on concerns over political corruption and potential collusion in the oil industry, which has the potential to influence elections as well as impact both environmental policies and consumer gas prices. Read more: “Code Red” for climate means reducing US oil and gas production.