Donald Trump didn’t just rip open Venezuela’s oil sector — he handed the first haul to a political benefactor who shoveled millions into his campaign. And critics aren’t mincing words about what it looks like.
The first U.S.-approved sale of Venezuelan crude following Trump’s aggressive moves against the South American country went to Vitol, a massive Geneva-based oil trading firm. The deal clocked in at roughly $250 million , according to reporting from the Financial Times. The kicker? A senior Vitol trader tied to the deal is also a major Trump donor.
John Addison, a top trader at Vitol who attended a recent White House meeting with oil executives, donated $6 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign through multiple super PACs — including $5 million to MAGA Inc. The Financial Times reported Addison played a role in Vitol’s push to secure the Venezuelan oil sale.
And the reporting gets uglier.
“Addison pledged to Trump at the White House event that Vitol would attain the best price possible for Venezuelan oil for the US, ‘so that the influence you have over the Venezuelans will ensure that you get what you want,’” the Financial Times reported.
Democrats say the whole arrangement reeks.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) blasted the deal, pointing out Vitol’s past scandals and the naked donor connection. He called the transaction “fundamentally corrupt,” according to CommonDreams.org.
“Trump took Venezuela’s oil at gunpoint, and gave it to one of his biggest campaign donors,” Murphy wrote. “Vitol had to buy access to Trump because under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t be able to get a deal like this.”
Vitol isn’t the only player circling the spoils. The Washington Post reported that hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer’s Elliott Investment Management is positioned to profit massively from Trump’s Venezuela policy. Elliott is on the verge of acquiring Citgo, the Houston-based refining company owned by Venezuela’s state oil firm PDVSA.
Citgo just happens to own refineries in Illinois, Louisiana, and Texas that can handle Venezuela’s heavy crude — the same crude Trump has vowed to steer to U.S. refineries. As The Post noted, only a limited number of facilities can process this oil, putting Citgo in prime position to cash in.
Meanwhile, the money trail raises even more red flags.
Proceeds from the U.S. sale of Venezuelan oil are reportedly being parked in Qatar, a setup critics warn could function as an offshore slush fund.
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) didn’t hold back.
“After illegally and unconstitutionally striking Venezuela, Trump is now selling Venezuelan oil through a campaign donor, and funneling the proceeds to an offshore account in Qatar—creating a potential slush fund with no accountability, oversight, or guardrails for Trump and his allies,” Booker wrote.
“This outrage,” he added, “is yet another example of his unchecked corruption as he again ignores laws and enriches his friends, donors, and himself.”
