The Republican-led U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources is investigating 19 environmental groups, including two based in Oregon, over money they receive after successfully challenging federal agencies in court.
The committee announced the investigation Friday, accusing the organizations of using environmental lawsuits to collect taxpayer-funded legal fees, allegedly resulting in environmental groups weaponizing lawsuits to make money. The committee has not presented evidence that the groups have broken the law.
The investigation includes Oregon Wild and Cascadia Wildlands. Neither nonprofit immediately responded to requests for comment Friday.
Both organizations’ most recent tax filings show that contributions and grants accounted for most of their revenue.
The committee also named the Center for Biological Diversity, a national nonprofit involved in environmental litigation across the JPR listening area. The organization reported nearly $5.7 million in legal settlements and attorney fee awards in its 2024 federal tax filing. That represented about 12% of its nearly $46 million in total revenue. Contributions accounted for about $38 million.
The committee is seeking documents showing how the organizations decide when to sue and how they calculate requests for attorney fees. The committee has also asked representatives of the groups to testify in October.
