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Democrats in Washington are expanding their probe into the circumstances around U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to block the opening of the new Gordie Howe bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit.
California Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib wrote to Matthew Moroun on Wednesday, requesting that the owner of the nearby Ambassador Bridge turn over records of any communications with the Trump administration.
Moroun, whose family has owned and operated the Ambassador Bridge for decades, reportedly met with a member of Trump’s cabinet hours before the president took to social media last week to claim he would block the opening of the new span unless the U.S. extracted concessions from Canada, which paid for the more than $6 billion bridge in full.
The Moroun family has long opposed the construction of the Gordie Howe bridge, which is likely to cut into their toll revenue. Matthew Moroun has been a heavy Republican donor in recent years, and the Ambassador Bridge company has spent millions on a top lobbying firm in Washington with deep ties to Trump’s inner orbit.
Lights on the new Gordie Howe bridge were turned on in September. (Michael Evans/CBC)
In their letter Wednesday, Garcia and Tlaib target Moroun’s political contributions, asking for records related to any financial transactions he’s made with the Trump campaign or Republican party.
“It appears that you may have used your influence as a donor to President Donald Trump to jeopardize American commerce to protect your company’s bottom line,” the lawmakers wrote.
But without Republican support, the Democrats on the committee can’t force Moroun to comply, since they are in the minority.
Garcia announced his panel’s investigation and made a similar records request to the Trump administration on Friday. Michigan’s congressional delegation also wrote to the president that day, urging him to allow the Gordie Howe bridge to open this year as planned, citing its expected economic benefits.
Moroun did not immediately respond to a request for comment.