A watchdog group wants the Department of the Interior to investigate whether the National Wildlife Federation misused federal grant money tied to political spending in Montana’s 2024 U.S. Senate race.
The Center to Advance Security in America (CASA) filed the complaint Thursday with the department’s inspector general.
The complaint says the Bureau of Land Management gave the National Wildlife Federation an $872,887.50 grant on Sept. 1, 2024. The money funded riverscape restoration work in Montana.
About a month later, the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund reported spending $299,985 to support Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s reelection campaign in Montana.
The spending included $274,665 for digital ads and $25,320 for direct mail.
The complaint says the National Wildlife Federation also gave $260,000 to its Action Fund during a similar time period.
The watchdog group says that raises questions about whether taxpayer money helped fund political activity.
The complaint does not claim it has direct proof that federal grant dollars paid for the campaign spending. Instead, the group says money is fungible and wants investigators to review the transactions.
“NWF may have engaged in a serious violation of law by potentially misusing taxpayer funds linked to a donation to their affiliated 501(c)(4) Action Fund and its subsequent independent expenditure supporting Senator Jon Tester’s re-election,” CASA Director James Fitzpatrick said.
“The American people are fed up with organizations that masquerade as charitable but, in reality, engage in partisan politics,” he added.
In response, National Wildlife Federation spokesperson Mike Saccone told The Center Square the “National Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund are separate and legally distinct organizations that operate under different IRS rules around advocacy and political activity. Conflating the two, as you did in your inquiry and your description of the complaint, is false and misleading.
“Both organizations take their respective compliance obligations seriously and will take steps to ensure any suggestions otherwise are corrected,” Saccone continued. “The National Wildlife Federation, as a 501(c)(3) public charity, does not engage in partisan political activity and does not support or oppose any candidates seeking elected office.
“The National Wildlife Federation Action Fund, as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, works to raise the visibility of conservation issues with voters and elected officials and engages in a range of advocacy activities. It reports its activities as required by applicable campaign finance law.”
The CASA complaint also points to Federal Election Commission records. After the FEC asked the Action Fund about the source of the money used for the spending, the group said it used its general bank account. It also said no donor earmarked money for the independent expenditure or any political purpose.
Federal tax rules bar 501(c)(3) groups from taking part in political campaigns. A 501(c)(4) group may engage in some political activity, but it cannot make politics its main purpose.
CASA asked Acting Inspector General Caryl Brzymialkiewicz and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to investigate whether the National Wildlife Federation violated grant rules or federal tax law.