Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 19 state attorneys general urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether more than 150 U.S.-based climate organizations have violated federal law by accepting foreign funds to influence American energy policy.
In a letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg, the coalition asks the Justice Department to determine whether the groups should be registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA. The 1938 statute requires organizations or individuals acting on behalf of foreign principals in political or policy matters to disclose their activities and funding sources.
The attorneys general allege that nearly $2 billion in funding has flowed from five foreign-based climate foundations to U.S. nonprofits engaged in litigation, lobbying and public-relations campaigns aimed at reshaping U.S. energy policy. The letter cites a 2025 report from Americans for Public Trust tracing funding from the Oak Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Quadrature Climate Foundation, KR Foundation and Laudes Foundation to more than 150 domestic groups.
“Foreign actors are attempting to sabotage our nation’s energy sector by funneling dark money to their climate activist cronies in the U.S.,” Mr. Knudsen said in a statement. “The law is clear – if U.S.-based nonprofits take money to lobby and influence policy on behalf of a foreign principal, they need to register under FARA.”
The letter argues that coordinated funding and advocacy efforts designed to restrict fossil-fuel production or otherwise influence U.S. energy markets may constitute political activity on behalf of foreign principals, potentially triggering FARA’s registration requirements. It further contends that none of the statutory exemptions appear to apply.
The Foreign Agents Registration Act has historically been enforced unevenly, though the Justice Department in recent years has expanded scrutiny of foreign-influence operations, particularly those tied to geopolitical rivals. Violations can carry civil penalties and, in some cases, criminal charges, though enforcement typically focuses on willful failures to register.
Among the five foundations cited, the coalition highlights the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, which it says has directed more than $553 million to U.S.-based organizations, including Energy Foundation China, to support climate-related litigation and advocacy. The letter asserts that at least one of the entities maintains ties to Chinese state interests, though it does not provide detailed evidence of operational control.
The Justice Department hasn’t publicly indicated whether it will open a formal investigation. FARA determinations often hinge on whether a U.S. organization acts “at the order, request, or under the direction or control” of a foreign principal—an evidentiary threshold that can be difficult to establish.
Energy policy has become a flashpoint between Republican-led states and climate-focused advocacy groups, particularly over restrictions on oil, gas and coal production. Montana, a major coal-producing state, has challenged federal environmental rules in court and has argued that foreign-backed activism threatens domestic energy independence and economic competitiveness.
The coalition includes attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia.
Mr. Knudsen in December led a separate 26-state coalition requesting that the Justice Department examine potential FARA violations tied to China-linked energy activist organizations, signaling a broader push by Republican attorneys general to scrutinize foreign funding streams in environmental advocacy.
By: DNU staff