A Georgia-based fuel supplier has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that more than $4 million worth of fuel sold through stations tied to the Freedom Fuel Network — the chain President Donald Trump praised in July for its steep discounts — was never paid for.
Mansfield Oil of Gainesville filed the suit on Aug. 19, accusing businessman Syed Kazmi and his company, KRSM, of obtaining over 1.1 million gallons of fuel from a Pennsylvania supply terminal between May and July. When Mansfield sent the invoice in July, the bill went unpaid, the lawsuit claims.
The suit alleges KRSM sold a portion of that fuel to stations in the Freedom Fuel Network, though it does not name the network as a defendant or accuse it of wrongdoing.
Discounted gas drew national attention
In early July, Freedom Fuel sold gas at $3.47 a gallon at 25 stations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to mark Trump’s status as the 47th president. The price was a steep discount to nearby stations, and Trump promoted the move on Truth Social, saying the retailer was “taking the lead” and acting “because they love the U.S.A.”
Mansfield’s lawsuit suggests the unpaid fuel helped enable at least some of those discounted sales. “KRSM was able to sell such fuel for such low prices and garner such publicity because it never paid Plaintiff for such fuel,” the suit states.
Trump touted the discounts as evidence that American consumers would soon see “record low prices” at the pump, even as fuel prices rose following the U.S. war with Iran.
Court order and dispute
On Aug. 28, a judge partially granted Mansfield’s request for a preliminary injunction, ordering the defendants to maintain a bank account balance of at least $2.75 million, according to court records.
The suit does not specify how much of the $4 million worth of gas went to Freedom Fuel stations or whether those stations have a relationship with KRSM or Kazmi. However, Politico reported that at least six Freedom Fuel locations in New Jersey are managed by Shamikh Kazmi, the brother of defendant Syed Kazmi.
KRSM’s legal representative, Mauro Tucci, said the company disputes the allegations, framing the matter as an accounting dispute over fuel invoices mis-priced by Mansfield Oil. “KRSM disputes the allegations in this case, which is an accounting dispute over fuel invoices mis-priced by Mansfield Oil,” Tucci said in an email to CNBC. “We will not be commenting further on this pending litigation.”
White House officials told CNBC the administration has had no contact or dealings with the defendants. Freedom Fuel Network did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Source: www.cnbc.com — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/30/trump-freedom-fuel-mansfield-lawsuit.html
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