Republicans seek to expose Russia funding to US green groups with 'Putin paychecks'

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EXCLUSIVE: U.S. groups that receive money funneled from Russia would have to register as foreign agents under new legislation Republicans plan to introduce Tuesday to take aim at green energy groups.

Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., authored the "Countering Russian Influence in our Politics Act" that would require U.S. organizations that receive funding from Russia to register as foreign agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

"The prospect of Russia funneling money to U.S. environmental groups to do Russia’s bidding and actively oppose U.S. energy is a dangerous form of interference in our politics," Budd said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "It is time to shine a light on how and why green energy groups undermine American energy dominance, destroy American jobs, and weaken America on the world stage." 

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The legislation — which has little chance of success with Democrats in control of Congress — seeks to address a belief among Republicans that Russia has been secretly funneling money to U.S. environmental groups that advocate against domestic oil and gas production in an effort to do President Vladimir Putin's bidding to undermine U.S. energy security. The environmental groups and funders have strongly denied they receive any Russian money.

Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Under Budd's legislation, organizations that may receive donations coming from Russia and from Russia-backed separatist governments in Ukraine would be subjected to a host of disclosure and reporting requirements when classified as a foreign agent.

For groups that have specifically advocated against domestic energy production, the bill imposes a requirement to report all Russian donations since the Crimean invasion in 2014.

Budd's legislation comes after House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans called on certain environmental groups to disclose their ties to a non-governmental organization which is, according to the committee, reportedly used by Putin to make an impact on American energy production.

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Three environmental groups — the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Sierra Club — allegedly have ties to the San Francisco-based NGO environmental organization called the Sea Change Foundation, according to Republicans on the committee.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law legislation that could punish journalists with up to 15 years in prison for reporting so-called "fake" news about his military invasion of Ukraine.        (Yuri Kochetkov/Pool)

Additionally, Republicans have already called for the Treasury Department to investigate whether Russia secretly funded those green groups that advocate against domestic oil and gas production.

Budd, Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on March 11 that cites a 2015 report that suggested the California-based Sea Change Foundation may be a conduit for Russian oil interests in funneling money to the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Sierra Club and the Center for American Progress. 

Sea Change told Fox News Digital that it has no connection to Russia or Russian funds and wants to put to rest the allegations. A statement from co-founders and co-directors Nat Simons and Laura Baxter-Simons said the Sea Change Foundation is funded "exclusively" through family trusts and they've never "solicited or accepted contributions from non-family related sources."

An oil pump jack in a field with wind turbines in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S., Friday, Feb. 19, 2021.  (Eddie Seal/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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The NRDC said the "allegations are false" and are "rooted in a smear campaign." A statement provided to Fox News from the LCV said the "story is completely false and has been put to rest for years." The Sierra Club said the allegation of collusion with Russia is a "false conspiracy theory."

The Center for American Progress said the allegations have been "thoroughly debunked," citing a 2018 article in which Simons and Baxter-Simons say the Sea Change Foundation has received no funding from outside sources and the foundation's $500 million in grants for climate and clean energy were based on their family money.

Joining Budd on the legislation as GOP co-sponsors are Reps. Randy Weber of Texas, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Mary Miller of Illinois, Brian Babin of Texas, Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Andrew Clyde of Georgia. Budd is running for the Senate in North Carolina to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr.

"This bill would expose those environmental front groups, with their ‘Putin paychecks’, and require them to register as foreign agents," Weber said. 

Fox News' Kyle Morris contributed to this report.