Democrats scrutinize Moroun's Trump access
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The Gordie Howe International Bridge as seen this month. Photo: Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Congressional Democrats are investigating whether Matthew Moroun used his access to President Trump to protect his company's toll revenues — and whether the Trump administration acted on Moroun's lobbying.
Why it matters: Trump's recent threat to block the Gordie Howe International Bridge's opening drew condemnation from leaders in Michigan and Canada and predictions of dire economic consequences.
Driving the news: Democrats on the House Oversight Committee wrote Moroun last week demanding, by March 4, his emails, texts, calendar invites and other communications with the White House about the Gordie Howe bridge or the Ambassador Bridge.
State of play: The Moroun family has owned and operated the Ambassador Bridge for decades.
- The family has spent years and millions of dollars fighting development of the publicly financed Gordie Howe bridge. The new span is expected to open this year and compete directly with the Ambassador for toll revenue.
- Moroun reportedly met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Feb. 9 hours before Trump publicly opposed the Gordie Howe bridge's opening amid strained U.S.–Canada relations.
The latest: New campaign finance disclosures revealed on Friday that Moroun gave $1 million to super PAC MAGA Inc., which supports Trump, on Jan. 16, less than a month before Trump issued his Gordie Howe threat, the Detroit News reported.
What they're saying: Delaying or blocking the Gordie Howe bridge could increase costs for American manufacturers and jeopardize the U.S. auto industry, U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the committee's ranking Democrat, wrote in their letter.
- "It appears that you may have used your influence as a donor to President Donald Trump to jeopardize American commerce to protect your company's bottom line," they wrote.
The other side: Neither Moroun nor Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) responded to requests for comment.
The intrigue: Democrats are also requesting records related to financial transactions or political donations involving the Morouns and Trump or the Republican Party.
Reality check: Democrats cannot compel Moroun to turn over the records on their own.
- Republicans control the House and the Oversight Committee. A subpoena would require GOP cooperation.
- Even if Democrats regain control, compelling records could require a subpoena and a protracted legal process. And the Moroun family has longstanding relationships across Michigan's political landscape.
What's next: If Moroun doesn't respond by March 4, Democrats could attempt to trigger a subpoena vote — a long shot in a GOP-controlled House.