Exxon asks Trump administration for waiver from Russia sanctions

This waiver was requested during the Obama administration, and one of the justifications for this waiver request is that the Obama administration granted the one in 2014. It's been laying around for some time now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/business/energy-environment/exxon-mobil-russia-sanctions-waiver-oil.html

humbolt said:

I don't disagree. I'm not in favor of giving Putin a damn thing, and most especially when it gives them resources to fund their international thuggery. I'm just pointing out that if it's bad now under Trump, it's equally bad when done by Obama or anybody else in the WH who have done the same thing in the past. This is not something exclusive to Trump, and the waiver hasn't been granted to my knowledge. We'll see what happens, I'm sure. Huffpo has suddenly found some dedication to the subject they haven't had in the past.

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The new Exxon boss is an idiot. He put the Trump administration in a hell of a position. How the admin reacts, or doesn't react, to this request from the new Exxon boss is going to speak volumes. Both good and bad are possibilities.

Just imagine if the admin turns the new Exxon boss down. That'd be an example of integrity rather than corruption, wouldn't it?
It is one of the possible choices here for the admin.

We'll see how this turns out.

Beaudreaux said:

Did you people read the same articles that I just did? The OP article links to the original article in the WSJ. I read them both.

The waiver request was made to the US Department of the Treasury, not the State Department run by Secretary of State Tillerson, who by the way has recused himself from any dealings with Exxon.

No decision has been made yet.

There is no swamp water, yet. You folks can get so bent out of shape so fast over what is nothing so far, that you must have direct lines to your chiropractors.

Let's wait and see what happens. If Exxon is given a waiver, then we can all (including me) raise t-total hell about it.

Until then, it's just a maybe and a very thin what-if. I, for one, am going to write my Congressman and Senators to tell them what I think about the prospect of a waiver for ANYONE to circumvent any current or future sanctions against Russia.

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Given that Tillerson has recused himself from any dealings with Exxon, isn't that an example of the man's integrity?

poweRob said:

Tillerson, the russian darling that putin awarded their highest medal for non-russians... orchestrated the deals with Russia right before the sanctions went into place. NOW... Tillerson's successor at Exxon is crawling to Tillerson to ask for permission for the sanctions against Russia to be dropped.

Exxon asks Trump administration for waiver from Russia sanctions​

Obvious corruption is obvious.

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Too much material already for the 2018s after just 90 days. If we even have elections. Do what you can do for your Georgia candidate in the next 62 days--such as a Bernie style donation. Keep the pressure on 24/7/365.

This type of blatant corruption is stopped by raising hell BEFORE it happens .

eohrnberger said:

The new Exxon boss is an idiot. He put the Trump administration in a hell of a position. How the admin reacts, or doesn't react, to this request from the new Exxon boss is going to speak volumes. Both good and bad are possibilities.

Just imagine if the admin turns the new Exxon boss down. That'd be an example of integrity rather than corruption, wouldn't it?
It is one of the possible choices here for the admin.

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Why should trump be applauded for not being a crook?

We'll see how this turns out.
Given that Tillerson has recused himself from any dealings with Exxon, isn't that an example of the man's integrity?

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If this were a DEM admin, GOPartisans would be questioning the integrity of Tillerson's recusal, based on what we've seen from this admin .

Moot said:

How convenient. Who didn't see that train wreck coming?

I'll say one thing for Trump's first 100 days...it sure hasn't been boring.

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And there's still ten more to go. Complete hypocrite Trusted Cruz is now whining about Democrats shutting down the gov't after the stunt he pulled in 2013 that DEMs didn't take advantage of .

eohrnberger said:

The new Exxon boss is an idiot. He put the Trump administration in a hell of a position. How the admin reacts, or doesn't react, to this request from the new Exxon boss is going to speak volumes. Both good and bad are possibilities.

Just imagine if the admin turns the new Exxon boss down. That'd be an example of integrity rather than corruption, wouldn't it?
It is one of the possible choices here for the admin.

We'll see how this turns out.

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We will see. Under current circumstances I see no way the waiver can be granted, but I've been wrong more times than I care to think about. If Exxon doesn't get the waiver, the Europeans and others with less onerous sanctions will likely accomodate the Russians. I'd let the Russians go shopping elsewhere. Exxon will survive.

NIMBY said:

And there's still ten more to go. Complete hypocrite Trusted Cruz is now whining about Democrats shutting down the gov't after the stunt he pulled in 2013 that DEMs didn't take advantage of .

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Is it budget time already? Cruz is a sleazeball and never stopped trying to shut down the government because that's what he was elected to do. So was Trump for that matter. So if Dems pull that stunt they would just be helping them to do it sooner and get all the blame. But what else can they do?

Moot said:

Is it budget time already? Cruz is a sleazeball and never stopped trying to shut down the government because that's what he was elected to do. So was Trump for that matter. So if Dems pull that stunt they would just be helping them to do it sooner and get all the blame. But what else can they do?

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With the pressure GOPs are getting at home, they'll be glad to get back to DC next week.

DEMs let the GOPs off the hook with Kamikaze Kruz's (WSJ) shutdown in 10/13, followed by the ACA rollout in 11/13 that GOPs hammered DEMs on throughout Christmas.

All while McConnell filibustered Obama and Reid was forced to pull the trigger. And then DEMs lost the Senate.

And we'll continue to lose until we come together, coalesce and GOTV .

humbolt said:

Weird that Exxon sought a waiver from the Obama administration in 2014 and received one then. Obama must've been in cahoots with Putin too.

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Then again Russia didn't hack our 2014 elections and didn't invade Ukraine (which got them the sanctions in 2014) until August of that year after the project was half built already.


They finished the drill and pulled their employees one month later. They've been denied ever since.

poweRob said:

Then again Russia didn't hack our 2014 elections and didn't invade Ukraine (which got them the sanctions in 2014) until August of that year after the project was half built already.

Exxon received a waiver in September 2014 when the sanctions were first implemented. The company had yet to complete a well in the Russian Arctic; Mr. Tillerson and other Exxon executives asked the Treasury Department and senior Obama administration officials to allow the company to complete the well, saying it wouldn't be safe to leave before it was finished, according to people familiar with the matter. Treasury granted an extension and the company completed drilling in October and eventually withdrew its employees from the project.

link...​

They finished the drill and pulled their employees one month later. They've been denied ever since.

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No disagreement. My point with another poster was that a waiver was granted. Environmental concerns were stated and while I completely understand that, I also understand contracts - how and under what circumstances payments are made. Tillerson ask for a waiver in the first instance, and got one. Tillerson asked for a waiver in this instance - some time ago - based on the WTH belief that if the government granted a waiver once, perhaps they'll do so again. No doubt Exxon was loathe to retreat from that market and lose it's influence there. In short, while the two events have distinct differences, they also have distinct similarities. I think it's very doubtful a waiver will be granted. The sanctions are very clear. I expect and hope no action will be taken, and the waiver request will be shelved. The Russians will find another driller and the entire waiver issue will be moot.

humbolt said:

We will see. Under current circumstances I see no way the waiver can be granted, but I've been wrong more times than I care to think about. If Exxon doesn't get the waiver, the Europeans and others with less onerous sanctions will likely accomodate the Russians. I'd let the Russians go shopping elsewhere. Exxon will survive.

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I don't see how either. Those who would make the decision are well aware of the political response in doing so. I don't think they will. But, agreed we'll see. Exxon will survive no matter which way it goes.

I don't believe in accusing someone of being a crook, when they haven't been, as seems to be the case for many and this admin.

humbolt said:

Weird that Exxon sought a waiver from the Obama administration in 2014 and received one then. Obama must've been in cahoots with Putin too.

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You beat me to it. Exemptions are filed every day. The liberal lap dogs sucked it up like Gravy Train.

RetiredUSN said:

You beat me to it. Exemptions are filed every day. The liberal lap dogs sucked it up like Gravy Train.

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Of course they did. They have to bolster their imagined narrative of Trump / Russian collusion somehow.
They way they are building it up, it's going to be a hard fall for them when it turns out to be completely false.