Busted: Republican cashed in on Trump's Venezuela raid while publicly cheering it on
North Carolina Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley was a hugely vocal supporter of President Donald Trump's operation to capture Venezuelan authoritarian Nicolas Maduro — but it turns out he may have had a financial stake in it, Politico reported on Thursday.
Whatley, an ex-energy lobbyist and Republican National Committee leader, proclaimed that the operation was an "important step" and he was "proud" of the troops who executed it.
"What Whatley didn’t mention is that he and his family have up to a million plus dollars invested in three major oil companies that saw spikes in their shares after President Donald Trump said he would increase oil production in Venezuela, according to his personal financial disclosure filed in late November," said the report.
"Whatley ... and his immediate family own between $321,000 and $890,000 in stock in Chevron, which is the only American oil major operating in Venezuela. The company is their largest individual holding, according to a PI analysis of the disclosure," the report continued. Additionally, the family owns "between $83,000 and $245,000 in stock in Exxon Mobil and between $3,000 and $45,000 in shares of ConocoPhillips" — all of which saw their stock prices go up sharply in response to the Venezuela operation.
In response to the article, Whatley spokesman Jonathan Felts slammed the insinuation, saying, “The idea that Michael would support Maduro’s arrest to boost his stocks is completely false and absurd — the sort of genius-level scheme dreamed up by liberal media. Michael Whatley has spent decades supporting energy policies that ensure affordable, reliable energy for all Americans.”
Maduro has spent years oppressing the Venezuelan people to the point of starvation. However, experts are suspicious of Trump's motives for military action in the country, with some suggesting he is simply after a new stream of oil or even that he could give Maduro leniency in exchange for validating conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was stolen.
Whatley is set to face off against former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper for the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Thom Tillis, who in recent months has grown more openly critical of the Trump administration.