WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib escalated the Committee’s investigation into billionaire Trump donor Matthew Moroun’s efforts to lobby the Trump Administration into shutting down the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a direct competitor to the Moroun family-owned Ambassador Bridge. The members are demanding Mr. Moroun provide details and information regarding his meeting with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just hours before President Trump directly threatened to block the opening of the new bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada.
“President Trump’s wealthy donors should not be holding secret meetings with Administration officials to influence economic and foreign policies that have real impacts on the American people. Mr. Moroun and Secretary Lutnick must answer the Committee’s questions about what was said and promised during their secret gathering,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.
“It’s no surprise that Matthew Moroun, Trump’s billionaire donor and owner of the dangerously obsolete Ambassador Bridge, met with the Trump Administration mere hours before President Trump absurdly threatened to block the safer, more efficient Gordie Howe International Bridge from opening. For decades, the Moroun family have used their money and influence to enrich themselves at the expense of our neighbors in working class communities in Detroit. I have dealt with the Morouns long before I even became a member of the United States Congress. As a member of the House Oversight Committee, we have a responsibility to investigate and root out this blatant corruption,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
“It is flatly unacceptable and undeniably corrupt for a wealthy donor to dictate our foreign and economic policy in order to protect their own personal business interests. The public deserves to know the truth of the circumstances surrounding the Trump Administration’s sudden interference on behalf of one of the President’s wealthy donors,” wrote Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
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