Brown and Root had a well-documented relationship with Lyndon Johnson which began when he used his position as a Texas congressman to assist them in landing a lucrative dam contract. In return they gave him the funds to "steal" the 1948 senate race from the popular Coke R. Stevenson. The relationship continued for years, with Johnson funneling dozens of military construction contracts to B&R.
In October 2003 members of Congress Henry Waxman (Democrat) and John Dingell (Democrat) demanded an investigation in the high prices that are asked for the oil that is sold in Iraq. The firm was importing Kuwaiti oil for 23 eurocents a liter, which shouldn't have cost the US government no more than 60 eurocents according to experts. The US was selling this oil for 3,400 eurocents a liter.