California Democrats are demanding answers from a former White House energy adviser who went to work for an oil company she had helped while in government.
Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla and Rep. Salud Carbajal sent a letter Wednesday to Brittany Kelm seeking answers about her tenure as a senior adviser on the National Energy Dominance Council, where part of her portfolio was helping Sable Offshore Corp. restart production on its oil platforms off the coast of Santa Barbara, reported Politico.
Kelm left the White House in August to become vice president of policy and commercial at Sable, whose platforms have been opposed by California officials since an oil spill in the area.
"Your new role, considering your prior close relationship with Sable while serving as a White House Senior Policy Adviser for Oil and Gas, raises serious questions about your compliance with federal ethics laws," the lawmakers wrote.
The letter cites public comments from Kelm and other administration officials promoting Sable while she was in government. It also points to an instance in which a Sable executive credited Kelm's efforts to help the company. The lawmakers asked Kelm to preserve all records and communications related to Sable and to answer a series of questions about her dealings with the company.
The inquiry is the latest "warning shot" from Democrats previewing the oversight investigations they could launch if they win control of Congress in November, according to Politico. Democrats have also signaled interest in the Trump administration's oil projects in Venezuela and its critical minerals deals.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers brushed off the letter, saying California Democrats "will do anything but address the massive problems plaguing their state." She insisted that Kelm followed all ethics rules.
"As is standard practice in every administration, White House employees coordinate their departures with ethics officials to ensure full compliance with all applicable guidelines and restrictions during offboarding," Rogers said.
Kelm and Sable did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The dispute is part of a larger fight between the administration and California. After the state blocked Sable from restarting a pipeline idled by a major oil leak, the company turned to the Trump administration for help. In March, the Energy Department invoked the Defense Production Act to order the pipeline restarted.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has called the move illegal, and the state is fighting it in court.