Top Democrats Call for Probe into Trump Allies' Lavish Share Buys Amid Corruption Fears
Two high-ranking Democrats have joined a chorus of voices calling for an investigation into a massive share-buying spree by two billionaire allies of the Trump administration. Venture Global, a liquefied natural gas company co-founded by Robert Pender and Michael Sabel, has seen its stock price surge after purchasing over a million shares worth nearly $12m each in March - just days after meeting with senior White House officials.
Critics say this is no coincidence, pointing to the connections between Trump's energy team and fossil fuel donors. Energy Secretary Chris Wright granted Venture Global an export license essential for its European expansion plans after the company attended a high-profile event at Mar-a-Lago, where President Trump reportedly requested $1bn in campaign donations from the industry.
Senator Ron Wyden says the transactions should be probed "so American people can know the full extent of Trump's corruption and abuse of office." He drew parallels with previous controversies involving Trump's energy team, including allegations of inappropriately pressuring a Ukrainian natural gas company to benefit campaign donors - a case that saw no accountability for those involved.
Senator Chris Van Hollen echoed concerns about potential conflicts of interest. "The Trump administration's blatant use of cronyism and pay-to-play politics knows no limit," he said. "It's clear they're padding the pockets of billionaires at the expense of working Americans."
Other lawmakers have also joined the call for an investigation, citing potential wrongdoing in the company's stock trades. Representative Ro Khanna says the issue highlights why money should be "out of politics" and that Trump's administration is prioritizing fossil fuel executives over American families and businesses.
Venture Global has denied any wrongdoing, saying its share acquisitions "fully complied with SEC rules and regulations." However, their efforts to distance themselves from allegations appear to have fallen flat.
Two high-ranking Democrats have joined a chorus of voices calling for an investigation into a massive share-buying spree by two billionaire allies of the Trump administration. Venture Global, a liquefied natural gas company co-founded by Robert Pender and Michael Sabel, has seen its stock price surge after purchasing over a million shares worth nearly $12m each in March - just days after meeting with senior White House officials.
Critics say this is no coincidence, pointing to the connections between Trump's energy team and fossil fuel donors. Energy Secretary Chris Wright granted Venture Global an export license essential for its European expansion plans after the company attended a high-profile event at Mar-a-Lago, where President Trump reportedly requested $1bn in campaign donations from the industry.
Senator Ron Wyden says the transactions should be probed "so American people can know the full extent of Trump's corruption and abuse of office." He drew parallels with previous controversies involving Trump's energy team, including allegations of inappropriately pressuring a Ukrainian natural gas company to benefit campaign donors - a case that saw no accountability for those involved.
Senator Chris Van Hollen echoed concerns about potential conflicts of interest. "The Trump administration's blatant use of cronyism and pay-to-play politics knows no limit," he said. "It's clear they're padding the pockets of billionaires at the expense of working Americans."
Other lawmakers have also joined the call for an investigation, citing potential wrongdoing in the company's stock trades. Representative Ro Khanna says the issue highlights why money should be "out of politics" and that Trump's administration is prioritizing fossil fuel executives over American families and businesses.
Venture Global has denied any wrongdoing, saying its share acquisitions "fully complied with SEC rules and regulations." However, their efforts to distance themselves from allegations appear to have fallen flat.
. These billionaires just swooping in and buying up shares of a company that's got ties to the Trump admin is just too much. It's like they're trying to cash in on the President's influence, you know? And now these lawmakers are calling for an investigation, finally bringing some attention to this shady deal.
. These guys are basically saying that if you're friends with a high-ranking official, you can just buy your way into power. And that's not how democracy is supposed to work.
. And it's clear that Trump's administration is more interested in lining the pockets of billionaires than in serving the American people 
they're just using their connections to get rich off the public's back it's disgusting! I had a friend who works at one of those energy companies and she was like "oh no, we're basically getting paid off for doing our job" 
my heart goes out to her. Senator Wyden is speaking truth to power 
but what can they really do? The system is so broken. And don't even get me started on Mar-a-Lago 
that place is like a symbol of corruption and greed. I'm just over here thinking about how my student loans are paying for all these fancy Trump events 
i mean come on, ventur global says there's nothin wrong w/ their trades & the sec says its all good too... dont jump 2 conclusions just yet 
I'm like, totally seeing both sides here... but if you ask me, it's gotta be a red flag when a company that's supposed to regulate the energy industry is being funded by people who are basically profiting off of fossil fuels? It's like, how can we trust them to make decisions in our best interests?
. I'm glad some lawmakers are pushing for an investigation - we deserve to know what's really going on behind the scenes 
. And let's be real, who doesn't love a good "pay-to-play" politics scheme? 
But seriously, if these allegations are true, it's just another example of Trump's administration putting corporate interests over people 
The fact that these billionaire Trump allies are buying up shares of a company that just so happens to be granted an essential export license by the energy secretary, Chris Wright, who also attended a high-profile event at Mar-a-Lago, raises some serious eyebrows. I mean, what's the likelihood of this being just a coincidence? The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that there's a clear conflict of interest here and some major cronyism going on.
The connections between Trump's energy team and fossil fuel donors are way too suspicious to ignore. It's like they're playing the game of "do as I say, not as I do" 
. I mean, who needs an investigation when you can just deny any wrongdoing and call it a day? 
. And let's be real, if other lawmakers are joining the call for an investigation, then maybe there's something fishy going on 
these guys were pals of Trump and now they're making bank off his energy policies? it just reeks of corruption 
and theres nothing the SEC can do about it rn 
hopefully theres some real investigation going on behind the scenes, cuz a million shares is just too suspicious 
. We need to hold our leaders accountable for their actions and make sure that no one is above the law 
.
The timing of these huge share buys by Trump's energy team allies is super suspicious. 
It sounds like crony capitalism on steroids to me.
That's not a coincidence, folks! 
. But nope, these guys are just out in the open, cashing in on their connections with the Trump administration.
. It seems like Trump's energy team is using their power to line the pockets of billionaires who are more likely to donate to his campaigns or fund his events, like that Mar-a-Lago bash 
. And now these same lawmakers are all up in arms about it? Sounds fishy to me 
. But isn't that what investigations for? I'd love to see Venture Global's financial records to figure out if they did indeed break any rules or just got lucky