Rep. Jamie Raskin told companies on Monday that they will face legal consequences if they help carry out President Trump’s deal to import Russian fuel into the U.S.
The Maryland Democrat, who leads his party on the House Judiciary Committee, penned a letter to the leaders of two trade organizations and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, warning against bringing Russian fuel into the market.
“Your members are now on notice that taking part in any effort to help President Putin hawk Russian diesel in the U.S. is a clear and dangerous violation of federal law,” he wrote in the letter.
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Mr. Raskin’s threat comes as President Trump has waived sanctions to allow for millions of tons of Russian diesel into the market to lower prices.
The congressman cited the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act, a 2022 law that imposes criminal penalties on those who import Russian energy.
The Treasury Department has issued a temporary license suspending restrictions on importing Russian diesel until April.
“Those who choose to act in this way proceed at their own risk and will undoubtedly be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, whether in this Administration — or the next,” Mr. Raskin wrote.
He added that those who help import Russian fuel “will be violating federal law and may therefore have to face both civil and criminal penalties, including up to 20 years’ imprisonment.”
Mr. Raskin is poised to chair the Judiciary Committee if Democrats win the House on Nov. 3.
In the majority, Democrats would likely try to use their subpoena power to probe the Trump administration and its allies.
Taylor Rogers, a White House spokeswoman, told Politico about Mr. Raskin’s letter, “The Democrats are already telegraphing that, once again, they have no agenda to improve the lives of Americans and will instead continue their decadelong obsession with investigating President Trump.”
Mr. Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russia four years into its invasion of Ukraine has been met with criticism from members of Congress and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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