Robert Reich commented on his Facebook page regarding Venezuela sanctions. But first some introductory excerpts from The Hill’s Timothy Cama and Megan R. Wilson.
President Trump is exempting Citgo Petroleum Corp., owned by Venezuela’s government, from the financial sanctions imposed Friday on the country.
The latest set of sanctions is meant to punish the government of President Nicolás Maduro as it moves to rewrite the country’s constitution and consolidate his power. To that end, the sanctions seek to exclude the Venezuelan government from the United States’ economy, including its markets and capital, and to make sure the U.S. does not assist the Maduro government.
But Citgo, an oil refiner, retailer and transporter based in the United States and owned by the government’s Petróleos de Venezuela, will get to operate largely as normal.
The Trump administration has tightened sanctions on Venezuela, but one company has escaped the new rules. Under a special exemption, oil refiner Citgo can still do business with the petroleum-rich country. The company's lobbyists in Washington are none other than former Trump aides: Barry Bennett and Bud Cummins. Their consulting firm received $160,000 to lobby the White House, the Treasury Department, the Justice Department, and the Energy Department. Citgo also contributed $500,000 to Trump's inauguration.
Drain the swamp? Former Trump aides are cashing in on their connections to the administration as lobbyists. At the same time, Trump has granted staffers-turned-consultants unprecedented access to the White House. For example, former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski takes rides on Air Force One even as he builds his consulting business. Trump is turning this country into a kleptocracy, where members of his inner circle reap the benefits at the expense of the American people.
By Timothy Cama and Megan R. Wilson
