U.S. Democrats keep pressure on Trump regulators over 'suspicious' trades

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - Two Democratic U.S. senators have called on the federal commodities markets watchdog to investigate lucrative recent trading activity on oil markets since March 23 that closely coincided with White House moves in the Iran war, adding to pressure from opposition party members on possible insider trading, according to a letter released Friday.

• The letters from Senator Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, cited reporting by Reuters and other news outlets on unusually large commodity and equities trades that closely preceded major White House decisions on Iran, Venezuela and tariff impositions, which experts said was suspicious.

• Representatives for the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment but the agency's new enforcement director said last month that policing insider trading would be a priority.

• The White House has denied wrongdoing and said Thursday it had warned staff against leveraging inside information.

• "This is now a recurring concern during the Trump administration," the letter, dated Thursday, said, calling on the CFTC to furnish answers to series of questions about investigative steps and market surveillance.

• The letter follows last week's query from Democratic Senators Mark Warner and Adam Schiff to the Securities and Exchange Commission and Defense Department Inspector General, raising similar questions.