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BumRushDaShow

(173,974 posts)
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 07:25 PM 21 hrs ago

Justice Department calls on states to join investigation into oil companies

Source: Politico

07/03/2026 10:32 AM EDT


The Justice Department on Friday urged state attorneys general to investigate whether unlawful conduct is keeping gasoline prices high even as crude oil prices fall.

In a letter obtained by POLITICO, DOJ urged the state attorneys general to “use all tools available” under state law to investigate and prosecute any misconduct that may be contributing to high prices at the pump. “In short, companies and individuals who seek to unlawfully exploit our nation’s citizens will face federal investigation, civil liability, and criminal prosecution,” the Justice Department wrote.

Gas prices surged earlier this year after U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran raised concerns that the conflict could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway that normally carries about 20 percent of the world’s oil.

Prices have eased as peace talks between the U.S. and Iran continue. The average gas price on Friday morning was just under $4 per gallon, according to AAA, while crude oil hovered just under $69 per barrel.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/03/justice-department-oil-companies-investigation-00986929

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Justice Department calls on states to join investigation into oil companies (Original Post) BumRushDaShow 21 hrs ago OP
Why?................. Lovie777 20 hrs ago #1
U.S. D.o.J. did not exist after Jan. 21st, 2025 dave99 20 hrs ago #6
They are only doing this because Dump's admin ordered them to mdbl 4 hrs ago #14
I've got a better idea: Fiendish Thingy 20 hrs ago #2
Clever pretense! TommyT139 20 hrs ago #3
f'n idiots dweller 20 hrs ago #4
Dunno. Out and about on Wednesday and saw 2.999 as the low price. Igel 19 hrs ago #11
What Bullshit from trump's Mouthpieces dave99 20 hrs ago #5
That's the ticket deflect and gaslight............when all one has to do is look at the orange hair traitor jetting turbinetree 19 hrs ago #7
Time to BUST THE TRUST. multigraincracker 19 hrs ago #8
Trump got all the oil money, but wants the states to pay to stop the grift delisen 19 hrs ago #9
More waste of time and money. angryxyouth 19 hrs ago #10
The #1 exploiter.... hummmm.. who could that be? BettyBlueDot 18 hrs ago #12
As evil as oil companies are, this is a transparent deflection from the regime's policies, especially the bullshit war. Karasu 17 hrs ago #13

mdbl

(9,026 posts)
14. They are only doing this because Dump's admin ordered them to
Sat Jul 4, 2026, 11:44 AM
4 hrs ago

They are trying to fix the votes for the midterms by doing short-term meaningless crap so they can tell all their moron followers how they are doing such a great job.

Fiendish Thingy

(24,595 posts)
2. I've got a better idea:
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 07:32 PM
20 hrs ago

How about investigating to find out who asked the egg buyers to bid up the price of eggs during Biden’s term?

https://digbysblog.net/2026/07/03/just-eat-cereal/

TommyT139

(2,548 posts)
3. Clever pretense!
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 07:41 PM
20 hrs ago

Get the states to investigate, knowing they won't, because of oil & gas tentacles into red state govts.

On the other hand, gas & oil are interstate businesses, so doesn't that mean federal jurisdiction?

So the DOJ set up a way to give Trump cover, with no investigations actually resulting.

dweller

(29,005 posts)
4. f'n idiots
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 07:45 PM
20 hrs ago

It’s ALWAYS been this way .
Oil is threatened , prices skyrocket
Oil prices come down , prices remain high for gas .
What was the national average becomes forgotten , and the new national average price is established
Prices rise for all products moved by trucking etc
Those lower prices are never seen again , and higher prices remain .
It’s been that way forever . But now they are concerned








✌🏻

Igel

(37,728 posts)
11. Dunno. Out and about on Wednesday and saw 2.999 as the low price.
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 09:24 PM
19 hrs ago

That's 60 cents above where it was back in January--with prices a bit higher in summer anyway and with cheaper crude working its way through the system I don't know where it's going to land.

Did still see some places charging 3.099 and a mile down the road others at 3.399 and 3.499. But they were late in raising prices back in March and April.

Again, depending on where they source their gasoline and diesel the price increase took time to work through the supply chain and the price decrease will, too.

turbinetree

(27,876 posts)
7. That's the ticket deflect and gaslight............when all one has to do is look at the orange hair traitor jetting
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 08:32 PM
19 hrs ago

off to South Dakota..............on his gifted refurbished bribe jet paid for by taxpayers.........because Obama had a deal in the Middle East that he didn't like............you know that ego shit running between his ears............JFC..........

multigraincracker

(38,385 posts)
8. Time to BUST THE TRUST.
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 08:38 PM
19 hrs ago

No company should have control from the fields to the pumps. Break them up and bring competition to gas prices.

delisen

(7,522 posts)
9. Trump got all the oil money, but wants the states to pay to stop the grift
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 08:48 PM
19 hrs ago

Trump wants the DoJ to focus on his vanity prosecutions

Image this DoJ trying to go up against Big Oil.

angryxyouth

(359 posts)
10. More waste of time and money.
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 08:54 PM
19 hrs ago

Fuel prices are high because the Straight of Hormuz is still closed. There are no real negotiations going on. Except self dealing by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. 70% of the US refineries are set up for heavy or “sour” crude oil which is high in sulfur, which we generally get from the Middle East. We are at tank bottom when it comes to the heavy crude so mixing it with the light shale oil or the light oil that is produced in the Permian Basin in Texas is difficult. The bottom of the tanks are unusable sludge. So we have 30% refining capability for domestic oil product needs. The oil pumped from platforms offshore in California are a heavy high sulfur oil, which is why Donald Trump is pushing so hard to start pumping it. The Gulf of Mexico produces both heavy and light crude which in recent years we have slowed production for good reason in those areas.
Here is a breakdown which I got from chat GBT of how light cruse is used.

Over 85% of a 42-gallon barrel of light crude oil is refined into various fuels. The remaining yield produces materials like asphalt, lubricants, and petrochemical feedstocks for plastics.Because the refining process causes a volume expansion, a single barrel yields about 45 gallons of petroleum products.The average breakdown of products from a single barrel includes:Gasoline: ~43% to 45% (about 19 gallons) for automobiles.Diesel and Heating Oil (Distillates): ~25% to 29% (about 11–12 gallons).Jet Fuel / Kerosene: ~7% to 9% (about 4 gallons).Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids (HGL): ~4% to 8% (about 2 gallons) used for propane, butane, and plastic feedstock.Asphalt and Road Oil: ~3% to 4% (about 1.5 gallons).Other Products: ~4% to 8% (about 2.5 gallons) including petrochemicals, lubricants, and petroleum coke.

Back to me. The oil companies are buying heavy crude from Venezuela, Mexico and Canada, and are paying a premium for it. If anything oil prices are being kept artificially low because the markets believe Donald Trump when he says we’re negotiating with Iran and that the straight will open. The United States has an advantage to other countries like Europe because of our proximity to South America, Mexico and Canada but again we are paying a premium for 70% of our refineries to keep producing. Good news is that we won’t run out of fuel in the US it will be more expensive for a long time. This doesn’t take into account aviation fuel in California which around 20% is imported from South Korea because of a lack of pipelines from other parts of the country and because California is closing refineries.

BettyBlueDot

(42 posts)
12. The #1 exploiter.... hummmm.. who could that be?
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 09:33 PM
18 hrs ago

This is some rich BS. "companies and individuals who seek to unlawfully exploit our nation’s citizens" The main source is the trump machine. It is everything trump and his doj do.... exploiting us, stealing from us left and right, 24/7. Yet again, the lying, hypocrisy, gaslighting is off the charts.

Karasu

(2,386 posts)
13. As evil as oil companies are, this is a transparent deflection from the regime's policies, especially the bullshit war.
Fri Jul 3, 2026, 10:57 PM
17 hrs ago
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