President Donald Trump and his administration have enthusiastically promoted the Freedom Fuel Network. This chain of convenience stores in the Philadelphia area offers gas at $3.47 per gallon, honoring Trump as the 47th president. However, determining the true masterminds behind the venture is challenging.
Records indicate that the network, launched last month, involves various businessmen. This group includes an NFL kicking coach, a GOP fundraiser, and a New Jersey entrepreneur. This entrepreneur was ordered to pay civil damages for unlawfully taking over 200,000 gallons of fuel this year.
The chain caught Trump’s attention due to its lower gas prices, a detail he praised before the July 4th travel period, as Americans faced rising oil prices amid the Iran conflict. Trump lauded the network on his Truth Social platform on July 1st, promising that gas prices would soon drop to record lows. The White House reiterated this sentiment on X, celebrating the opening of the first Freedom Fuel station and showcasing consumer appreciation in a video outside a station adorned with American symbols.
The station in Dresher, Pennsylvania is owned by Blue Owl Capital’s subsidiary, according to records. Trump previously held up to $25 million in Blue Owl stock, though recent disclosures indicate most of the stake was sold. Despite these links, the White House denied any personal association with the venture but confirmed conversations with network setup members.
“The Administration is not involved in the company, nor has given any funding. There is no entity or person subsidizing lower gasoline costs,” said the White House.
Blue Owl owns around a third of the Freedom Fuel properties. It leases stores to independent contractors, not engaging in tenant operations or decisions. Fourteen stations in the 25-location network are controlled by companies linked to Shamikh and Syed Kazmi. These brothers face various civil misconduct accusations, including fraud.
State records and insider sources reveal Shamikh Kazmi leases eight stations from Blue Owl. Six additional Freedom Network locations are linked through Kazmi’s ventures or supplied fuel from them, records show. Although a White House official insisted that no talks involved Syed Kazmi, discussions occurred with Shamikh Kazmi.
Public documents present a complex picture, illustrating numerous lawsuits involving the Kazmis. In February, a New Jersey federal judge ordered the brothers to pay over $600,000 for stealing gas from a fuel supplier. They were accused of exploiting a security lapse at a supplier’s depot and took more than 230,000 gallons over ten days in August 2021.
Syed Kazmi faced legal troubles with 7-Eleven, resulting in a $380,000 judgment two years ago. He was charged with unethical conduct while operating a Lawrenceville, New Jersey franchise. Allegations included unsanitary conditions and missing cigarettes. In 2022, a federal judge held Shamikh Kazmi’s company in contempt regarding BP America trademark issues.
Efforts to contact the Kazmis yielded little response, with inquiries redirected to the Freedom Fuel Network’s website. However, no contact details are available there. Delaware records, known for offering incorporators significant privacy, show Randy Brown and Yoni Gontownik signed the Freedom Fuel Network’s registration documents on June 23rd.
Brown is the Baltimore Ravens’ senior special teams coach and former Evesham Township mayor. Gontownik is a former Mercuria investment director and has been active in pro-Israel PAC fundraising. Both declined to comment.
Jeff Lenard, the National Association of Convenience Stores spokesman, speculated that Freedom Fuel’s prices indicate selling gas at a loss. Such loss-leading strategies typically last only hours or days, affecting posted rates this week. As seen in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, a Freedom Fuel station charged $3.82 per gallon on Thursday, cheaper than a nearby Sunoco.
Freedom Fuel’s website acknowledged Trump’s endorsement as crucial to its growth, dismissing circulating misinformation. “Freedom Fuel Network is proudly lowering its prices to benefit our community,” reads the statement.