1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I am writing as your constituent to ask you to support a thorough, independent investigation into possible conflicts of interest, self-dealing, and misuse of taxpayer funds in the Trump administration’s offshore-wind lease buyouts. Recent reporting indicates that the administration reached a settlement with RWE reportedly worth approximately $1.2 billion in connection with the abandonment of offshore-wind projects. Reports further indicate that roughly $900 million may be used in a transaction involving Stonepeak, an infrastructure investment firm co-founded and led by Michael Dorrell, who reportedly contributed approximately $1 million to President Trump’s inaugural committee. These circumstances raise serious questions about whether a public transaction was structured to benefit politically connected investors. This concern does not arise in isolation. Reporting on other Trump administration decisions—including the pardons of Julio Herrera Velutini, Changpeng Zhao, Trevor Milton, Henry Cuellar, and Paul Walczak—has raised questions about the relationship between government action, political contributions, donor access, personal loyalty, and private financial interests. Those reports do not, by themselves, establish illegal quid pro quo arrangements. However, they have contributed to a broader concern that government decisions may benefit Trump-connected individuals, companies, and supporters. That pattern makes an independent review of the offshore-wind transactions particularly important. I urge you to investigate the legal authority for using taxpayer funds, including the Judgment Fund, to terminate or buy out offshore-wind leases; the complete terms and financial justification for the RWE settlement; and whether any portion of the funds will directly or indirectly benefit Stonepeak, Mr. Dorrell, Trump-related companies, political donors, or other administration-connected parties. The investigation should also examine communications among administration officials, political intermediaries, RWE, Stonepeak, and Louisiana LNG; whether the transaction represents new investment or primarily benefits an existing private investor; and whether federal ethics, disclosure, procurement, and spending laws were followed. Please support congressional hearings, subpoenas where necessary, and independent reviews by the relevant inspectors general and the Government Accountability Office. The settlement agreement, valuation analyses, ethics reviews, communications, and payment records should be made public, subject only to narrowly tailored legal redactions. Political contributions and business relationships do not, by themselves, prove corruption. But the combination of a large taxpayer-funded settlement and a transaction involving a politically connected investor creates an appearance of a serious conflict of interest. Taxpayers deserve a transparent, independent investigation.