Republicans call on Yellen to investigate whether Russian money financed USA green groups

EXCLUSIVE: The pinnacle of the Republican Examine Committee (RSC) has referred to as on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to launch an investigation into whether or not Russia secretly funded U.S. inexperienced teams that advocate in opposition to home oil and gasoline manufacturing. 

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., led a letter to Yellen Friday that cites a 2015 Washington Free Beacon report that urged the California-based Sea Change Basis might allegedly be a conduit for Russian oil pursuits in funneling cash to teams just like the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the Pure Assets Protection Council (NRDC), the Sierra Membership and the Middle for American Progress. 

“Russia spent tens of millions selling anti-energy insurance policies and politicians within the U.S.,” Banks stated in a press release to Fox Information Digital. “Now, due to Biden’s battle on home vitality, U.S. oil manufacturing has dropped 10%, pushing up costs and enriching and emboldening Putin earlier than he invaded Ukraine.”

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Banks continued: “In contrast to the Russia hoax, Putin’s malign affect on our vitality sector is actual and deserves additional investigation.”

The Treasury Division didn’t instantly reply to electronic mail requests for touch upon whether or not it might examine. 

Banks’ letter coincides with the same effort from Home Power and Commerce Committee Republicans who’re calling on sure environmental teams to reveal their ties to a non-governmental group which is, in keeping with the committee, reportedly utilized by Russian President Vladimir Putin to make an impression on American vitality manufacturing.

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Three environmental teams – the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the Pure Assets Protection Council (NRDC), and the Sierra Membership – reportedly have ties to the San Francisco-based NGO environmental group referred to as the Sea Change Basis, in keeping with Republicans on the committee.

In a letter despatched to every of the three teams, Republicans inquired in regards to the funding the teams have acquired from Sea Change since 2006 and referred to as for disclosure of whether or not the teams “are conscious of issues that Sea Change could also be a conduit for Russian funding.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks throughout a information convention with Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe at Authorities buildings in Dublin, Eire, Nov. 1, 2021. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
(REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne)

Sea Change didn’t instantly provide remark Saturday. The Middle for American Progress stated the allegations have been “totally debunked,” citing a 2018 article through which Sea Change founders Nat Simons and Laura Baxter-Simons say they’ve acquired no funding from exterior sources and the inspiration’s $500 million in grants for local weather and clear vitality have been primarily based on their household cash.

“Within the midst of a severe nationwide safety disaster, it is a disgusting disinformation marketing campaign by unpatriotic Republican extremists who’ve been actively cheering on Putin all through the Trump years, and who at the moment are masking that shame with lies which were totally debunked,” Middle for American Progress stated in a press release to Fox Information Digital.

Equally, LCV, NRDC and Sierra Membership have pushed again laborious in opposition to these GOP allegations in earlier statements to Fox Information Digital. 

The NRDC stated the “allegations are false” and are “rooted in a smear marketing campaign.”

“We obtain no funding from the governments of Russia or China,” Bob Deans, the director of strategic engagement for the NRDC, stated. “We reply to our impartial management, and we don’t do the bidding of any authorities – overseas or in any other case – in our work to advocate for commonsense environmental protections within the public curiosity. These allegations are rooted in a smear marketing campaign orchestrated practically a decade in the past by fossil gasoline pursuits and a right-wing suppose tank. They solely serve then, as now, as a distraction.”

A press release offered to Fox Information from the LCV stated the “story is totally false and has been put to relaxation for years.”

“We’ve no connections to Russia, or China, and have been an efficient advocate for environmental safety for over 50 years,” the group acknowledged. “These false and poorly researched allegations are rooted in a virtually 10-year-old right-wing suppose tank and fossil gasoline industry-funded smear marketing campaign that will get revived each few years to function a distraction.”

In a press release shared with Fox Information, Melinda Pierce, Sierra Membership’s legislative director, concluded the allegation of collusion is a “false conspiracy idea.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into legislation laws that would punish journalists with as much as 15 years in jail for reporting so-called “pretend” information about his navy invasion of Ukraine.       
(Yuri Kochetkov/Pool)

“This false conspiracy idea, invented by the identical deceitful entrance teams paid to do polluters’ and massive tobacco’s soiled work, has been repeatedly debunked over its practically 10-year existence,” Pierce stated. “The Sierra Membership has no connections to Russia or China, and proudly fights for clear vitality and local weather motion as a result of that is what our planet requires, our households deserve, and what the overwhelming majority of Individuals throughout the nation demand.”

The Republican Examine Committee is the most important group of conservatives within the Home. They have been hitting Biden laborious for his home vitality insurance policies they are saying stifle home oil and gasoline manufacturing and led to the U.S. shopping for Russian oil to fund Putin’s battle in opposition to Ukraine. 

Biden introduced this week the U.S. will cease importing Russian oil merchandise and stated “it is merely not true” that his administration is holding again home vitality manufacturing.

Fox Information’ Kyle Morris contributed to this report.