House Democrat presses oil CEOs for details of Trump's fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago

• The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee is investigating whether former President Donald Trump proposed a "quid pro quo" arrangement to oil executives at a dinner in April.
• The probe follows reports that Trump promised to reverse environmental policies in exchange for $1 billion in campaign donations from the oil executives.
• Corporations are prohibited from donating directly to presidential candidates. They can contribute to PACs and their employees' can make private donations, but neither can do so if the donation is intended as a bribe in exchange for favorable treatment.

The House Oversight Committee's top Democrat asked oil executives to reveal whether former President Donald Trump had proposed a "quid-pro-quo" arrangement to them at a recent Florida fundraising dinner, according to letters released Tuesday by Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

The letters arose from a Washington Post report that Trump hosted the executives for dinner Apr. 11 at his private club, Mar-a-Lago. "You all are wealthy enough," Trump reportedly told the assembled guests. "You should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House."

The former president then reportedly told the oil executives that if they helped him win another term as president, he would reverse the Biden administration's freeze on permits for liquefied natural gas exports, auction more oil drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico and roll back rules on auto emissions.

The reporting raises "significant potential ethical, campaign finance, and legal issues," Raskin wrote.

The issues "flow from the effective sale of American energy and regulatory policy to commercial interests in return for large campaign contributions," wrote Raskin, who is the ranking Democrat on the