Vitol Trader Who Donated $300,000 to JD Vance's Campaign Got Key Call Before Venezuela Oil Deal

A Vitol trader who donated $300,000 (£235,000) to a political action committee supporting JD Vance's 2022 Senate campaign received a call from US Energy Secretary Chris Wright days after American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

John Addison, a Houston-based gasoline trader, told Reuters that Wright contacted him on 5 January 2026 to ask whether Vitol would market Venezuelan crude. Within days, Vitol and rival Trafigura received special US licences to sell Venezuelan oil without competitive bidding.

The call raised questions about how Vitol secured the business. Reuters reported that Vance had vouched for Addison to Wright. The Department of Energy said Vitol was selected because of its commercial standing and denied that Vance and Wright had discussed the oil sales.

Vance's Connection to the Vitol Trader

Federal Election Commission records show the $300,000 went to Protect Ohio Values, a committee supporting Vance's Ohio Senate campaign, not directly to his campaign.

Addison told Reuters that Vance had described him to Wright as trustworthy. A US official confirmed that Vance had vouched for Addison at least a year before the January call.

The investigation detailed an alleged meeting in Montana on 27 December, a week before the US operation. Flight records showed both men's aircraft at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. A person familiar with the matter, who had been given Addison's account, said they discussed how quickly Venezuelan crude could be sold if the US gained control of the country's oil supplies.

Addison and Vance's office denied that the meeting took place.

Donations and Questions Over the Deal

In 2024, Addison and his wife, Shannon, donated a combined $7 million (£5.3 million) to political action committees, including $5 million (£3.8 million) to Make America Great Again, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Robert Garcia, the House Oversight Committee's ranking Democrat, questioned who knew about the operation and when. He wrote to Vitol and Trafigura seeking information about their licences. Both companies said they had no advance knowledge of the military operation.

The Trump administration defended bypassing competitive bidding, saying rapid oil sales were needed to support Venezuela's economy and public services.

Oil Profits and Addison's Advisory Role

Energy finance expert Tom Seng estimated traders made $3 to $3.50 (£2.27 to £2.64) in profit per barrel, based on market conditions and shipping rates. Applied to more than 200 million barrels exported by Venezuela in 2026, the estimate suggested returns worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The figures could not be independently verified. A Reuters review found Vitol's operating profit margins had ranged from 1% to 3% over the previous three years. Both companies said their commercial terms with state oil company PDVSA were confidential.

By 9 January, both companies had received licences. Addison attended a televised White House meeting with Donald Trump, where he said Vitol would help move Venezuelan oil around the world. Vitol said Addison lacked the expertise to negotiate an international crude contract and brought in regional chief executive Ben Marshall and its crude team after Wright's call.

Addison retired from Vitol in March and was later appointed chairman of Wright's energy policy advisory board, which held its first meeting in July.