Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary James Mattis requesting information about foreign entities using U.S.-based 501(c) organizations as proxies in environmental litigation against the United States or to influence domestic environmental and natural resources laws. 

“Given the emerging concerns about undue foreign influence in the United States, the Committee is investigating how foreign adversaries may use U.S.-based 501(c) organizations as knowing or unknowing proxies to engage in environmental lawfare… 

“Specifically, we are interested in environmental litigation by U.S.-based 501(c) organizations against the Department of Defense (Department) and its negative impact on our national security...

“Accordingly, environmental groups that bring such lawsuits may be knowingly or vulnerable to unwittingly serving as proxies for our foreign adversaries…

“While some lawsuits represent sincere and justified concerns about the effect of federal actions on the environment, others may be maliciously filed to stop, restrict, delay, or impose additional costs on U.S. military activities.”

Click here to read the full letter.  

Background:

The letter is part of an ongoing investigation led by the Committee to further examine foreign influence on U.S. natural resources and environmental policy.