Republicans call for investigation into whether environmental groups were funded by Russian money

A group of Republicans in Congress is calling on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to investigate whether several environmental groups that lobby heavily for clean energy were financed by Russian sources, leading to the current gas price crisis.

In a letter to Yellen on Friday, a group of Republicans led by Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) requested her office investigate the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Sierra Club, the Center for American Progress, and others.

The letter bases its claims on a 2015 article by the Washington Free Beacon, which claimed the Sea Change Foundation may be a conduit for Russian money to other environmental organizations.

The letter further posits the practice of funneling Russian money to clean energy groups contributed to the current record-breaking gas prices in the United States.

“Russia spent millions promoting anti-energy policies and politicians in the U.S.,” Banks said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Now, thanks to Biden’s war on domestic energy, U.S. oil production has dropped 10%, pushing up prices and enriching and emboldening Putin before he invaded Ukraine.”

Many of the groups named have denied the claims in the letter, and the Treasury Secretary’s office has not responded regarding whether they will investigate.