A gas station chain praised by Donald Trump for its below-market-rate prices allegedly sold fuel its supplier didn’t pay for, according to a new lawsuit. Trump’s war with Iran caused gas prices to spike earlier this year when Tehran responded to joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes by closing the Strait of Hormuz, blocking a key trade route through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil is shipped, placing a strain on demand. As prices soared at the pump, the president took to Truth Social on July 2 to praise Pennsylvania’s Freedom Fuel Network for charging drivers less as a patriotic gesture ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, which this year marked the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
This Retailer is taking the lead, and others should follow. They are doing this because they love the U.S.A.” The White House later posted a video on YouTube in which Freedom Fuel customers expressed their thanks to the president after they were able to fill up their cars for just $3.47 per gallon. A complaint filed August 19 by Georgia-based fuel supplier Mansfield Oil Company in the U.S.
District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has now targeted the firm that supplied a number of the gas stations in the Freedom Fuel Network. KRSM acquired 1.1 million gallons of fuel from a Sunoco terminal in Twin Oaks, valued at around $4 million, but never paid the invoice, it is claimed. It then passed on “a portion of such fuel to its stations that are part of the Freedom Fuel Network, which, it has been reported, sold such fuel for significantly less than its competitors.”, the suit adds.
The company has denied the allegations, telling Politico the case amounted to “an accounting dispute over fuel invoices misplaced by Mansfield Oil” and declined to comment further on pending litigation. A White House official told The Independent that the Trump administration “has had zero contact or dealings with the defendant: KRSM Inc or [its owner].” The Independent has reached out to KRSM, Freedom Fuel and Mansfield Oil for further comment. Since the resumption of hostilities with Iran, the cost of gas on U.S. forecourts has climbed back up, standing at a national average of $4.08 per gallon Monday morning, according to the AAA index.
The conflict remains deeply unpopular with voters already concerned about the high cost of living and the twin issues threaten to inspire a backlash against Republican candidates at the ballot box come November’s midterm elections. The GOP could lose its slim majority in the House of Representatives and Senate if Trump cannot get a handle on the issue before them, which would have major repercussions for the second half of his second and final term in office. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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