The Trump administration helped an offshore oil company restart production over the objection of state leaders. Now, a coalition of 11 congressional California Democrats is asking that firm to fork over its communications with federal officials.
What happened: Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Salud Carbajal are leading an inquiry into the Department of Energy’s decision to invoke emergency powers to get Sable Offshore Corp. to begin shipping oil from its platforms off the California coast. The coalition sent a letter on Wednesday to Sable CEO Jim Flores accusing his company of having “disregard for California law.”
The coalition requested that the company disclose all of its communications with the DOE where it requested the federal agency invoke the Defense Production Act, the tool the Trump administration ultimately used to muscle past state roadblocks. The Democrats also demanded that the company preserve a slew of records related to the saga.
Why it matters: The move illustrates Democrats’ desire to continue exerting influence on energy policy, even as they have suffered a series of recent losses amid Republican control.
