The businessmen behind the “Freedom Fuel” network, the chain of discount gas stations heavily promoted by the Trump administration, have been identified after questions loomed over who was financing the initiative and whether taxpayer subsidies were involved.The venture was backed by commodities trader Yoni Gontownik and Baltimore Ravens assistant coach Randy Brown, Politico reported, ending a mystery that fueled questions from lawmakers, industry analysts, and competitors about the network’s finances.The pair signed a certificate of formation shortly before the administration promoted the initiative.
A third New Jersey businessman, Shamikh Kazmi, who has operated fuel retail and distribution businesses across the East Coast, also appears to be linked to the venture, the outlet reported.The Freedom Fuel Network launched with 25 gas stations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, advertising gasoline for as little as $3.47 per gallon, a price referencing President Donald Trump as the nation’s 47th president. The locations were rebranded with patriotic imagery and marketed as a way to provide relief to drivers after gasoline prices climbed following the war in Iran.
Trump praised the initiative, calling the retailer “VERY smart” who was voluntarily lowering prices because “they love the U.S.A.” The White House amplified the effort on social media, declaring that the “FIRST Freedom Fuel Network gas station has LANDED in Philadelphia” and saying the president was “leading the charge to lower gas prices this summer.”The administration repeatedly emphasized that the company was privately operated and denied providing federal funding or subsidies. White House officials said the administration “is not involved in the company, nor has the Administration given the company any funding. There is no other entity or person subsidizing the lower gasoline costs.”WHITE HOUSE ROLLS OUT DISCOUNTED ‘FREEDOM FUEL’ GAS STATIONSStill, the network drew scrutiny because industry analysts questioned whether discounted prices were economically sustainable. Patrick De Haan, the oil market analyst better known as “GasBuddyGuy,” cautioned that significantly lower fuel prices remain unlikely because refining capacity, not crude oil supply, is currently the primary constraint.Brown, a former Republican mayor of Evesham Township, New Jersey, previously explored runs for governor and Congress and has described himself as a Trump supporter. Gontownik formerly served as an investment director at global commodities trading firm Mercuria and has hosted fundraisers for GOP lawmakers.
