FOIA Requests Focus on U.S. Departments of Energy and the Interior Contacts With Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips Amid Scrutiny of Government Conduct

Washington, D.C. — Democracy Forward filed a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking records and information about the potential role of major American oil companies in U.S. government conduct related to Venezuela’s resources preceding and following the operation to capture President Nicolás Maduro. It has been well documented that the Trump-Vance administration did not notify Congress as required by law, but the extent of its engagement with energy companies has not yet been fully disclosed.

The requests focus on communications between senior officials at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and representatives of Chevron, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips. Democracy Forward is seeking emails, attachments, and calendar invitations exchanged since December 2025. 

The FOIA filings come amid news reports that the President and Trump-Vance administration officials are having ongoing meetings with major oil companies as global energy markets react to the fallout from the Maduro operation and the future of access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Democracy Forward’s requests are designed to determine whether these energy companies were given privileged access or influence over U.S. government actions with major geopolitical and economic consequences. 

“The President couldn’t find time to brief members of Congress before kidnapping a foreign head of state, but appears to have prioritized discussions with Big Oil. When government actions tied to foreign resources are preceded and followed by closed-door meetings with the world’s largest oil companies, transparency is not optional–it is essential,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “The public deserves to know what interests are shaping decisions that have enormous consequences for global energy markets and democratic accountability.”

In addition to the DOE and DOI requests, Democracy Forward has sought records across multiple agencies–including the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, and Justice–related to internal deliberations, legal analyses, and communications with Congress concerning the Maduro operation and its aftermath. The requests seek records from Cabinet-level officials and senior agency leadership, including communications sent or received through unclassified government systems.

Read the requests here, and here. 

A Spanish version of this press release can be found here.