According to a report released by the nonpartisan group “Americans for Public Trust” on October 31st, five foreign charities have contributed nearly $2 billion to left-wing climate and social agendas in the United States. The report highlights that at least one of the listed foreign organizations has ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
US laws prohibit foreign citizens and governments from providing funds to candidates, political committees, and Super PACs, as well as participating in campaign decision-making. However, the report indicates that many other politically active groups in the US are not required to disclose donations from foreign citizens, governments, or other foreign organizations, creating a loophole that can influence policy-making.
For example, while a foreign citizen cannot fund a Super PAC ad endorsing a candidate, they can pay for content in an ad supporting a senator’s vote for tax increases in 2025. Foreign donors can also support lobbying activities, think tank research, legal cases, higher education, issue advocacy, voter registration drives, get-out-the-vote efforts, newsroom operations, door-to-door canvassing, and ballot harvesting.
The report states, “Behind climate litigation, lobbying, and advocacy efforts are foreign donors eager to foot the bill for the next advocacy, seeking to influence our country’s future, disrupt our energy independence, foment social unrest and ultimately weaken America.”
Organizations named in the report include the UK’s Quadrature Climate Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Denmark’s KR Foundation, as well as Switzerland’s Oak Foundation and Laudes Foundation.
In September, Americans for Public Trust released a report on British billionaire, activist, and hedge fund manager, Christopher Hohn, who operates the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. Hohn has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to various organizations and non-profits operating in the US, funding climate legislation, anti-fossil fuel protests, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and other social agenda policies.
The report reveals that the foundation holds a $6 billion donation fund, derived from Hohn’s activist hedge fund valued at $60 billion. Since 2014, the foundation has donated over $553 million to dozens of US-based organizations, non-profits, and companies.
Additionally, the report highlights the foundation’s connections to the Chinese Communist Party, raising concerns about potential exploitation by the CCP for spreading anti-American propaganda across the US, further amplifying the risk of foreign influence on American politics and policies.
The Quadrature Climate Foundation, founded by UK billionaires Greg Skinner and Suneil Setiya in 2019, focuses on addressing their so-called “climate emergency.” The foundation has provided nearly $530 million to US-based groups to influence energy policies, according to the report.
The KR Foundation, also a climate and environmental activism organization established in 2014, has spent over $36 million to influence US policies and phase out fossil fuels.
Americans for Public Trust stated that the group funds “all activities from climate litigation to US climate protests, to resisting pro-energy legislation at the state level.”
The Oak Foundation, founded by British billionaire Alan Parker in 1983, supports environmentalist positions, including opposing the Keystone XL pipeline, advocating for zero-carbon goals, and the Paris Climate Accord.
The report reveals that the Oak Foundation has donated at least $8.2 million to the Tides Center, a part of the Tides Foundation network, which sponsors an immigrant rights group called the Opportunity Agenda advocating for abolishing ICE.
The Laudes Foundation, established by the Brenninkmeijer family, has provided nearly $20 million to 17 US-based groups. The foundation aims to address climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and social inequality issues, attempting to influence decision-makers in the financial sector and corporations.
Americans for Public Trust emphasized the need for reform to prevent undue foreign influence on US policy debates, as incoming foreign funds could compromise US sovereignty and weaken energy independence. The organization urged legislators to consider new laws to curb foreign intervention when necessary.
Some states have attempted to legislate restrictions on foreign entities purchasing land or prohibiting foreign funds from supporting state-level ballot initiatives.
Other states are working on laws that require increased transparency regarding foreign gifts and contracts.
Although some restrictions have been put in place, foreign funds can still support US-based organizations and non-profits with minimal oversight. The organization advised state and federal authorities to investigate the scale of foreign donations in the US and whether these foreign groups are acting unlawfully.
The organization stated, “Policymakers should consider comprehensive policy reforms to address foreign influence while investigating and holding accountable unlawful groups and foreign citizens.”