The Trump administration has doled out billions for mining and critical mineral processing companies. Democrats are eager to win back Congress and turn up the oversight screws, investigating any ties to Trump family members.
Democrats angling to take back Congress this fall are laying the groundwork for deep investigations into President Donald Trump’s ever-expanding critical mineral spending spree — and the industry is taking note.
Mineral deals struck by the Trump administration are rife with conflicts of interest, Democrats say. They point to ties between some companies and the business empires of Trump’s family and that of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who has helped shepherd many of the awards for the administration. Business leaders from Australia to Canada to the U.S. considering big financing packages — which in some cases total more than $1 billion — will need to decide whether they want to sign up for possible congressional scrutiny that could put their companies under a microscope.
