US (Washington Insider) - 2 Democratic senators and Jeff Merkley called for an investigation into Venture Global co‑founders Pender and Sabel after $12M stock buys, Mar‑a‑Lago donations, $1.67M lobbying, and Trump’s LNG policies.
As The Guardian reported, 2 senior Democratic senators have called for an investigation into a recent stock buying spree by the co‑founders of Venture Global, a Virginia‑based liquefied natural gas company.
In March 2025, Robert Pender and Michael Sabel each bought more than a million shares worth nearly $12 million. The purchases came just days after the 2 met with senior officials in the Trump administration. Soon after, the government issued a permit that expanded Venture Global’s business in Europe.
Senators Ron Wyden and Chris Van Hollen said the timing of the trades raised serious concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Wyden compared the situation to previous Trump administration controversies where top energy officials were accused of helping political allies but faced no accountability.
"Corrupt pay-to-play schemes are at the heart of everything the Trump administration does,"
Wyden said.
"There is no doubt in my mind that these new LNG transactions should be investigated so the American people know the full extent of Trump's corruption and abuse of office.?
What are the alleged Pay-to-Play links between Venture Global and Trump Allies?
Senator Jeff Merkley has also urged regulators to examine the trades for possible wrongdoing. Democrats said the combination of the meeting, large stock purchases, and fast regulatory approval could suggest “pay‑to‑play” politics or insider advantage.
"The Trump administration's blatant use of cronyism and pay-to-play politics knows no limit. It's clear that they're padding the pockets of billionaires at the expense of working Americans,"
said Van Hollen, senator for Maryland, member of the Senate banking committee and ranking member of the appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Securities and Exchange Commission and justice department.
"These investments absolutely merit further investigation.”
Venture Global said all trades followed U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules. The White House denied any wrongdoing. Lawmakers said regulators should check whether insider trading rules, conflict-of-interest laws, or political influence were involved.
"Dirty oil-and-gas bucks are fueling the Trump administration, which should outrage all of us. This latest reporting portrays a pattern of pay-to-play donations and favourable actions by the administration,"
Merkley said.
“The timing of the stock trades certainly merits investigation for potential conflicts of interest and insider trading."
A spokesperson for Venture Global said last week that the company’s share purchases
“fully complied with SEC rules and regulations”
and that it
“strictly followed all laws and rules regarding interactions with government officials.”
The company has not responded to repeated requests for comment on growing calls on Capitol Hill for an investigation into the findings.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told the Guardian:
"The president has never engaged, and will never engage, in conflicts of interest.”
On his first day back in the White House, Trump signed an executive order rolling back regulations to favour fossil fuel production, including LNG export licenses, while removing existing climate and clean-energy policies. He also withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement and did not participate in this year’s UN climate talks.
The year 2025 is on track to be the 3rd year in U.S. history. Floods, fires, and extreme heat have killed Americans and caused billions in damage. Energy costs are rising, with electricity bills up more than 15% in 10 states and Washington, D.C.
Experts say the increases are driven by rising fossil gas prices, utility costs for infrastructure upgrades, and the fast growth of AI and cryptocurrency data centres, which demand more electricity. The combination of extreme weather and higher energy costs is raising concerns over government energy policies and the influence of the fossil fuel industry on lawmakers.
In response to the Guardian's questions, Leavitt said:
"The president has never engaged, and will never engage, in conflicts of interest."
"This is why we need to get money out of politics,"
said Ro Khanna, Democratic representative for California and member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
"LNG exports will raise energy prices for American families and businesses. If Trump is really concerned with the affordability crisis, he should prohibit them and prioritise people over greedy fossil fuel executives,"
According to reports, Michael Sabel, co-chair of Venture Global, was one of many leaders from the fossil fuel industry to attend a private gathering hosted at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, where Trump requested those leaders to contribute to his political campaigns with at least $1 billion in return for investments in "friendly" legislation related to fossil fuels. The Wall Street Journal indicated that Venture Global was listed as one of the largest financial supporters of Trump's inaugural. Venture Global made a $1 million donation to Trump's campaign before his inauguration.
According to OpenSecrets, the non-profit group that tracks expenditures by interest groups, including Lobbyist organizations, individuals linked to the company have invested nearly $860,000.00 on lobbying activities in 2024 and almost $810,000.00 in 2025 year to date. This amount exceeds the company’s past record of spending in 2019 of $70,000.00 more than twelve times over. A Democratic member of Congress from the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, together with Congressman Summer Lee is taking the initiative to work towards outlawing Super PAC contributions.