Former President Donald Trump might choose North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to be his running mate. But Burgum is rejecting claims that Trump told oil executives that he’d lower rules if elected in exchange for helping him raise money to run for president again.
As reported by the Washington Post, Trump told some of the country’s top oil executives that he would undo dozens of environmental rules and policies put in place by the Biden administration and stop any new ones from being made. The meeting took place earlier this year at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. In other words, if they raised $1 billion to keep him in office.
He said that the gift would make it a “deal” because they wouldn’t have to pay taxes or follow rules because of him. Trump is also said to have told the executives that he would put up for auction more Gulf of Mexico oil drilling leases.
Burgum said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, “I was at that meeting—that did not happen.” “He didn’t ask for a billion dollars in donations, and there was no quid pro quo.”
Burgum also denied that Trump was trying to get money from the oil industry to run for re-election. He said, “He’s not going after anyone” and is just “doing what candidates do” by visiting and talking to a “essential to the economy” industry.
Burgum backed Trump for president in January. He quit his campaign for the Republican nomination a month early, in December 2023, after starting it in June of that year. Since then, he has worked as an energy policy adviser for Trump.
Continental Resources, which holds the most oil and gas leases in North Dakota, rents 200 acres of farms in Williams County to Burgum’s family so that they can pump oil and gas.
According to his financial report, the deal with Continental has earned him up to $50,000 in royalties since late 2022. However, experts told CNBC that he and his family business have likely made thousands more since they signed the contract with the company in 2009.
Burgum was asked if his support for the energy business turns off young voters who say they care about climate and environmental policy. He said, “I’m not worried about it at all.”
Burgum, who also runs his own software business, said earlier this year that he would not be running for a third term as governor. On December 14, his second term will end.
