We told you the Venezuela invasion was just corruption. It took one...
Chris Murphy 🟧@ChrisMurphyCT
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Jan 18, 2026
~1 min read
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We told you the Venezuela invasion was just corruption. It took one whole week to get the proof.
Trump took Venezuela's oil at gunpoint, and gave it to one of his biggest campaign donors.
1/ But when you learn the details, it's even worse. A short🧵on this corruption story.
Trump took Venezuela's oil at gunpoint, and gave it to one of his biggest campaign donors.
1/ But when you learn the details, it's even worse. A short🧵on this corruption story.
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2/ John Addison donated a stunning sum to Trump's election campaign: $6 million. And then, as the Venezuelan operation unfolded, his company, Vitol, asked Trump for a license to trade Venezuelan oil - before their competitors.
Shocker: Addison got it.
wsj.com/business/energ…
Shocker: Addison got it.
wsj.com/business/energ…
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3/ And then, just days later, Trump selected Vitol for the first sale of Venezuelan oil - at a discount that will likely allow Vitol to make a huge profit when it sells it to secondary buyers.
A windfall for Addison and Vitol. And fundamentally corrupt. thedailybeast.com/trump-hands-fi…
A windfall for Addison and Vitol. And fundamentally corrupt. thedailybeast.com/trump-hands-fi…
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4/ But it gets worse. Vitol had to buy access to Trump because under normal circumstances, they wouldn't be able to get a deal like this - because of the company's CRIMINAL HISTORY of bribing foreign governments.
justice.gov/archives/opa/p…
justice.gov/archives/opa/p…
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5/ The Venezuela operation wasn't about drugs - their drugs go to Europe, not the U.S.
It wasn't about our security. Maduro wasn't a threat to us.
It wasn't about democracy. Maduro's thugs are still in charge.
It was about making Trump's oil friends rich.
It wasn't about our security. Maduro wasn't a threat to us.
It wasn't about democracy. Maduro's thugs are still in charge.
It was about making Trump's oil friends rich.