US senator calls for insider trading inquiry over Trump donors buying $12m worth of shares

US Senator Calls for Probe into Trump Donors' Insider Trading Amid Fossil Fuel Lobbying Spree

A senior Democratic senator, Jeff Merkley, is urging an investigation into potential insider trading by billionaire fossil-fuel donors who have donated millions to President Donald Trump's campaigns. The call comes after a Guardian investigation revealed that two prominent figures from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry, Robert Pender and Michael Sabel, bought over $12 million worth of shares in their company, Venture Global, just days after meeting with senior Trump officials.

The unusual share-buying spree has raised eyebrows, particularly given the close ties between these donors and Trump's administration. In March, Pender and Sabel met with Chris Wright, the energy secretary, who later granted their company an export license essential for its expansion plans in Europe. The timing of the stock trades has sparked concerns about potential conflicts of interest and insider trading.

Merkley described the situation as "pay-to-play" donations that should outrage all Americans. He claimed that the Trump administration is "fueling the fossil industry," which is producing expensive, dirty energy instead of cheaper, clean energy. This, in turn, is leading to higher utility prices for American households and accelerated climate chaos.

The senator's call for an investigation has been met with a response from Venture Global, which maintains that its share acquisitions complied with SEC rules and regulations. However, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, denied any conflicts of interest, stating that President Trump has "never engaged, and will never engage, in conflicts of interest."

As the climate crisis worsens, with 2025 on track to be the third hottest year in history, Merkley's concerns are being echoed by environmental groups and experts. They argue that the fossil fuel industry is profiting from the Trump administration's policies, which prioritize dirty energy over clean energy.

The investigation into Pender and Sabel's insider trading has sparked a wider debate about the influence of money in politics and the need for greater transparency in government dealings.

It seems to me that this whole situation is a perfect storm of crony capitalism and the insidious influence of special interest groups on our democratic system . The fact that these fossil fuel donors were able to reap huge financial benefits from their connections to Trump's administration, essentially buying their way into the inner circle, is just plain unconscionable . And let's not forget that this is happening at a time when we're staring down the barrel of catastrophic climate change . It's like the ultimate example of the proverbial fox guarding the henhouse – who better to regulate their own interests than those with the deepest pockets?

idk why its taking so long for someone to look into this I mean, it seems pretty fishy to me that these guys are buying up shares after meeting with Trump officials. like, is it just a coincidence? dont think so. Merkley is right, this whole "pay-to-play" thing is messed up and needs to be investigated ASAP. its not like these guys are just random donors, they're big players in the fossil fuel industry, which is basically making money off of climate chaos. that's not something to be ashamed of... or is it?

it's wild how these rich donors get away with this stuff... like, I'm not saying they broke any laws or anything, but come on! If I was investing in my company and suddenly got a meeting with the head of energy, I'd be like "um, is everything okay?"

and yeah, it's super messed up that Trump's all about fossil fuels. Like, we're literally dying because of climate change and he's just ignoring it... or worse, making it worse . And what really gets me is how these donors can just donate a ton of money to his campaign and then get rewarded with sweet, sweet government contracts .

I'm all for transparency in politics, you know? Like, we need to know who's influencing the decisions being made behind closed doors . It's time to hold our politicians accountable and make sure they're not just taking care of their rich buddies

omg this is so concerning!!! i mean who else can just donate millions to trump's campaign and then buy up shares of their company days later? it's like, what's next? does this mean that our politicians are literally for sale to the highest bidder? we need more accountability here and Merkley is totally on point with his "pay-to-play" comments i'm all about transparency in gov't dealings...let's get to the bottom of this and make sure our leaders aren't profiting off their jobs

this whole thing just smells like corruption to me... i mean, $12 million in stock trades after meeting with energy sec? that's just weird and who benefits from these fossil fuel donations? obviously not the environment or the average american Merkley is onto something here, we need more transparency in gov dealings. this "pay-to-play" vibe is seriously suspicious

I mean, what's new? Politicians just trying to do their job, right? Like, who doesn't love a good fossil fuel lobby group, am I right? Meanwhile, our politicians are over here trying to keep up with the pace of climate change, while these dudes are basically profiting off the back of it. It's like, hello, have you guys ever heard of the concept of " conflicts of interest"? But hey, at least we know where the money is coming from, right? And, I mean, no one's ever been accused of insider trading before... ever.

I don't know, man... This whole thing is kinda confusing. On one hand, I get why Senator Merkley is calling for an investigation - it does seem shady that these fossil fuel donors got to make a bunch of money just because they met with some Trump officials. Like, shouldn't there be some rules against this kind of pay-to-play nonsense?

But on the other hand, I'm not so sure I believe Merkley is totally right in his assessment of the situation either... I mean, have we ever really seen a case where someone gets rich solely because they made some bad investment decisions? Or don't these guys have access to all sorts of fancy financial modeling and whatnot that helps them make more informed decisions?

And then there's the issue of how much influence fossil fuels have in Washington anyway... Like, aren't they already super powerful just by virtue of being one of the biggest industries in the country? Shouldn't we be worried about a whole lot more than just some rich guy making some questionable trades?

I don't know, man... I'm torn on this one. Maybe it's a good idea to investigate, but maybe it's also an example of the government trying too hard to regulate everything that people might be overreacting?

I'm not sure how these wealthy fossil fuel donors think they can just swoop in, meet with top Trump officials, and then buy up shares in their company at the same time... it's like something out of a movie . I mean, come on, if you're gonna donate millions to a campaign, shouldn't you be more transparent about your interests? And what's up with this "pay-to-play" thing, where politicians just hand over favors to their biggest donors? It's so shady .

And let's not forget, the US is already facing some major climate issues . We need clean energy now, not dirty energy that's gonna make us richer in the short term but poorer in the long run . I'm with Senator Merkley on this one – we need more transparency and accountability from our politicians. Maybe then we can trust them to make decisions that are good for everyone, not just their donors .

I was thinking about my friend who just got a new puppy , have you ever had one? It's so much work taking care of it, but also super rewarding when they curl up next to you on the couch. I mean, my pup is still learning what a "no" means... anyway, back to this news - I'm not sure how much more of these scandals we can take before something changes. The thought of those fossil fuel donors making millions off of their connections with Trump's administration is just crazy . Do you think the SEC is doing enough to regulate these kinds of situations?

man I'm so tired of this pay-to-play system anyone who's got deep pockets can just buy their way into the Trump camp and then use that connection to make some quick cash it's not right and we need to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions. I mean, come on 12 million dollars in stock trades in like two days? that's some suspicious activity and Merkley is right, the fossil fuel industry is profiting off the backs of the American people while they're trying to address climate change we need better regulation and more transparency in our government. I'm not sure what the outcome of this investigation will be but it's about time someone started asking some tough questions https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/15/trump-donors-insider-trading-probe

OMG this is soooo concerning!! I mean, who gets to just buy shares before meeting with a high-ranking official? It sounds like some serious "pay-to-play" vibes going on . I totally get why Sen Merkley wants an investigation into this - it's basically the definition of insider trading! And can you believe these guys are profiting from dirty energy while we're supposed to be trying to save the planet ? It's just not right! The fact that they can say their share deals were legit and no conflicts of interest (yeah right) just makes me want to scream . We need more transparency in government, stat!

I mean come on, if they're gonna do it, let them own it . These rich guys have every right to try and make a buck, especially when they've got friends in high places like Trump. The whole 'pay-to-play' thing is just a myth perpetuated by folks who think the system should be rigged against people with deep pockets. We all know how that works out . And let's get real, if these guys are smart enough to make millions off their investments, they're not gonna stop because some senator gets worried about it. Merkley can keep calling for an investigation all he wants, but at the end of the day, people are gonna do what they want regardless .

I'm getting so fed up with these rich folks and their connections to our politicians . It's like they're buying their way into the White House, you know? I mean, who needs regulations when you've got deep pockets? And it's not just about them, it's about all of us who are paying the price for their dirty energy addiction. My grandma used to tell me that money can't buy happiness, but now it seems like it can buy its way into power too . We need to make sure our politicians aren't getting caught up in this pay-to-play game. It's time for some real change

This whole situation just smells fishy to me... Like, I get that some people might think, "What's the big deal? They're just donating their money." But when you've got these super-rich fossil fuel donors lining up meetings with top Trump officials and then suddenly buying up shares in their company like it's going out of style... That's a major red flag. And it's not just that they might have broken some rules, it's the whole "pay-to-play" vibe that's so corrupting. Like, shouldn't politicians be making decisions based on what's good for the country, not just what's good for their donors? It's time to get a grip on this situation and figure out if there's really no connection between Trump's policies and these super-rich fossil fuel buddies.

This whole thing just smells like a huge problem ... I mean, if billionaires can basically buy their way into getting exclusive meetings with Trump officials and then make a quick buck by buying up shares in their company ... it's just not right . And Merkley is totally right, this does feel like a case of "pay-to-play" donations where the Trump administration is basically letting these fossil fuel donors get away with some shady dealings . The fact that they're profiting from dirty energy and causing climate chaos is just wild . We need to keep pushing for more transparency in government and making sure our politicians are working for us, not just their donors

Can't believe these billionaire fossil fuel donors think they can just swoop in, grease the right palms, and make bank on Trump's favor . It's like they're literally buying their way into the energy cabinet . And Merkley is right, this whole "pay-to-play" thing is a disaster for the American people. Who needs clean energy when you can have cheap gas and utilities? Not to mention the devastating impact it has on our planet . Trump's administration is all about lining their own pockets at the expense of the public interest . We need more transparency, not less .

This pay-to-play thingy is getting old

I don't get why rich people who donate to politicians can just buy stock in their companies right before meeting with them? It sounds like they're getting special treatment, you know? And what's up with the energy secretary granting an export license to this company just after they made those big trades? It's like there's a conflict of interest or something.

I mean, I'm no expert on all this, but it seems weird that politicians would let their friends and donors get rich off their policies. And now we're paying the price with high energy prices and climate change . Can't we just have clean energy and make money without hurting the planet?

I'm like totally disturbed by this whole thing . I mean, can you believe that these guys are basically buying their way into big time with Trump's admin? It's like, come on guys! You're profiting off the planet's demise and it's just not right . The fact that they can just swoop in and make millions after meeting with energy sec'ty is wild . And what really gets my goat is that this is happening right now when we need leaders who are gonna prioritize our future over fossil fuel profits . It's like, the US is still stuck on gas-guzzlers while the rest of the world is moving towards clean energy . We need some serious accountability here