John,

Donald Trump launched military strikes in Venezuela without congressional authorization. Trump’s own statements indicate that Big Oil executives were informed about planned military action before Congress was.[1] That is not just a violation of constitutional war powers. It raises serious questions about corruption, insider access, and corporate influence over U.S. foreign policy.

Venezuela holds the single largest oil reserve on Earth―larger than Saudi Arabia’s. Trump has openly stated that the United States will take oil wealth from the country and that American oil companies will move in to rebuild and profit. When a president launches an unauthorized war in an oil-rich nation and hands its resources to big corporations, Congress has an obligation to investigate who was consulted and who stands to benefit.

This concern is sharpened by Big Oil’s record under the Trump-GOP tax law―which is now paying tax rates considerably below the normal corporate tax rate of 21%. Over the first five years of the tax scam, Exxon paid 10.4%. Chevron paid 6.3%. Marathon paid 10.7%. Phillips 66 paid 7.9%. ConocoPhillips paid just 4.7%. In 2022, the average household paid about 14.5% in federal income taxes, meaning working families paid a higher rate than the companies now positioned to profit from Trump’s illegal war.

Now, Trump is threatening the possibility of even more attacks on Venezuela while promising that U.S. oil companies will return to extract and sell its oil. That combination demands serious oversight. Congress must determine what Big Oil knew, when they knew it, whether oil executives pushed for this illegal war, and how they expected to profit from it.

Tell Congress to subpoena Big Oil executives and investigate whether corporate interests influenced Trump’s illegal war in Venezuela.

Congress must treat this as both an unauthorized use of military force and a corporate corruption inquiry. If oil executives received advance notice of military action, they gained an insider advantage while elected lawmakers were excluded from decisions that could lead to war.

The tax windfalls Big Oil received were not used to lower prices or accelerate clean energy. The ten largest energy companies spent roughly $206 billion on stock buybacks to further enrich their wealthy shareholders.

If oil companies lobbied for sanctions, military escalation, or post-war access to Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, the public has a right to know before this conflict expands further. A system that allows corporations paying single-digit tax rates to shape war policy is fundamentally broken.

Demand a full investigation, sworn testimony, and public disclosure of what Big Oil knew, when they knew it, and how they expect to profit.

Together we can defend democracy and tax fairness.

David Kass
Executive Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund