That price you're paying at the pump, it might be a result of price gouging.

That's an allegation that New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone is exploring.

He sent a letter late last month to seven of the major oil and gas companies asking them to reveal documents that could prove they're colluding to profit at a time when inflation is causing financial pain for all of us.

Raven Santana spoke to Pallone at the Jon Bon Jovi gas station, where drivers are already feeling the pain.

The allegations that prompted this investigation by my Energy and Commerce Committee, where I'm the ranking member, came initially from the Federal Trade Commission.

Congressman Frank Pallone, who is ranking member of the U.S. House Energy Commerce Committee, wants to hold big oil companies accountable.

He's accusing the CEOs of ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, America, Hess, Shell USA, Devon Energy and Occidental Petroleum of colluding to drive up gas prices.

We are moving towards or away from fossil fuels, towards renewables, electric vehicles and all that.

But I think that that's the very reason this is happening.

In other words, you know, the oil companies realize more and more that they're a thing of the past.

And so it's like a last ditch effort to try to, you know, make more money before they can't.

And so I think that's part of it, unfortunately.

Pallone, who is pushing for a congressional investigation into the oil companies, shared details of the damning Federal Trade Commission's complaint about former oil executive Scott Sheffield.

The announcement was made in front of the Jon Bon Jovi rest stop where he says price gouging at the pump could occur as families head to and from summer road trips.

The Federal Trade Commission, which is the Federal agency that deals with antitrust violations, and they specifically mentioned the conduct of former pioneer Natural Resources CEO Scott Sheffield.

And the FTC has alleged that Mr. Sheffield colluded with OPEC's, again, the cartel, the fine cartel, if you will, and with its membership, to artificially increase crude oil prices and gouge Americans at the gas pump.

It finds its way into the package delivery goods and services in our stores.

In addition to the prices we're paying to get to and from work and our families to where they need to be.

Helen was joined by the executive director of the League of Conservation Voters of New Jersey, Ed Potosnak.

When there's smoke, there's probably fire.

There's you know, if you don't have anything to hide, why don't you just produce the documents?

Potosnak says the goal now is to get the big oil companies in question to release their financial documents.

Truth is, today what we're looking at is oil company CEOs are are raking in record profits.

Last year alone, the oil and gas companies earned $174 billion in profits, all while gas prices were continuing to rise.

And it's good that they're coming down a little bit, but it still means like we're not opposed to the folks making money.

It's the fact that they're using the inflationary pressures.

Or in the case that the congressman said that they're colluding to raise prices.

That leaves us having to shell out more so they can just pay out more to their executives and board members.

Pullen says Democrats are now trying to convince the Republicans to have a hearing so they can subpoena the oil companies for the documents.

We reached out to the companies that Pallone named and none responded.

But the American Petroleum Institute said American oil producers have answered the call to meet growing energy demand.

For NJ Spotlight news I'm Raven Santana.

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