Carolyn Corley is stepping down as chairwoman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, according to an internal memo viewed by The Hill.
“It is with bittersweet emotion that we share the news that Carolyn will be leaving the Chamber at the end of the summer,” Chamber President Suzanne Clark wrote in a memo. “We began thoughtful conversations earlier this year regarding her desire to focus more on her personal endeavors.”
Corley’s resignation came shortly after she and Clark received a letter from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Missouri) earlier this month questioning donations the foundation had received from the left-leaning nonprofit Tides Foundation.
The Chamber previously told The Hill that the investigation was based on a “factually incorrect” article by conservative media outlet Breitbart, which first reported that Tides Foundation had given the Chamber grants totaling more than $12 million between 2018 and 2022.
The country’s largest pro-business lobby also said the Tides Foundation was merely a vehicle to collect funds from corporations, rather than being a donor itself, but defended its right to refuse to disclose the source of its funding.
Michael Carney, a senior vice president at the foundation, has been named chairman of the foundation, according to the memo.
“Her prioritization of a smooth transition is a testament to her dedication to the Foundation and the Chamber,” Clark wrote in the memo.
A Chamber of Commerce spokesperson referred The Hill to the memo.
Updated at 5:43 PM EDT.
