US Congress may investigate imports of Russian diesel — The Hill
A group of US lawmakers, including Democrats and Republican Senator Thom Tillis, sent letters to major banks and port authorities warning of a possible congressional investigation into imports of diesel fuel from Russia, an aggressor state. As The Hill reports, the letters were sent after President Donald Trump said that the United States would import this fuel.
The authors of the letters said that any imports of Russian diesel into the United States raise significant legal questions and could become the subject of legal action and congressional investigations. They stressed that companies importing goods in violation of US law may face criminal and civil liability. In the lawmakers’ view, criminal liability could threaten not only the direct importer but also companies that knowingly purchase Russian diesel or facilitate its import.
Request to preserve documents
Tillis, Representative Gregory Meeks, and Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, Chris Coons, and Sheldon Whitehouse asked the recipients to preserve documents concerning planned or actual shipments and transactions related to Russian diesel.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The letters were received by the heads of JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo Bank, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, as well as the heads of the port authorities of New York and New Jersey, Houston, Corpus Christi, and Beaumont, Texas. If Democrats gain control of one or both chambers of Congress after the midterm elections, they will have broader opportunities for oversight and investigations into the Trump administration’s efforts to import diesel from Russia.
White House position
Earlier this month, Trump said that Russia would supply diesel fuel to the US and global markets amid high prices. The administration also said it would lift sanctions. Moscow said that the first shipment of diesel had already departed for the United States.
The initiative has drawn criticism from representatives of both parties. Its critics believe it could help Russia continue its war against Ukraine and harm civilians. The White House said that lifting the sanctions is lawful and consistent with the previous practice of the US Treasury Department’s sanctions unit. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers also said that Democrats intend to continue investigations into Trump and claimed that the president had done more than anyone else to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.
