First appearance on Fox: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is going after the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Law Institute (ELI) over its efforts to provide the first climate-related education to federal judges nationwide.
Cruz sent a letter to ELI President Jordan Diamond on Friday requesting information about the organization’s work with the Climate Justice Project (CJP) and former Biden administration official Ann Carlson. In his letter, he noted Carlson’s involvement in the development of CJP and that the group shares funding sources with law firms that pursue high-profile climate-related litigation on behalf of states and cities across the country. He pointed out that
“While ELI claims to provide “neutral and objective information on the science of climate change” to law enforcement agencies, [CJP] “This lawsuit directly complements a series of climate change lawsuits initiated by Scher Edling, a law firm affiliated with Mr. Carlson,” wrote Mr. Cruz, ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee. It has an impact on the fossil fuel industry. ”
“The project’s funding and ties to climate change plaintiffs further betray ELI’s claims of neutrality,” he continued.
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Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on May 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Carlson, who worked for the Biden administration from early 2021 until January of this year, developed regulations for gasoline-powered vehicles at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and served on the group’s advisory board, but ELI was not approved in 2018. CJP was established in 2016 with the aim of “providing neutral and objective opinions.” “Information about climate change litigation and creating a curriculum specifically designed for federal judges,” according to the website.
Overall, since it was founded more than five years ago, the project has created 13 curriculum modules, hosted 42 events, and had more than 1,700 jurors participate in its activities, Fox News Digital previously reported. Ta. Additionally, multiple judges serve as advisors to his CJP and may influence its curriculum and modules.
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For example, Ronald Roby, Associate Judge of the California Court of Appeals, Third District. Judge Michael Simon of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. and David Tetel, a recently retired senior judge on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, all serve as advisors on the project.
Madison Calhoun, senior manager of education programs at the Environmental Law Institute, will present the June 2022 webinar on the Clean Air Act. (Environmental Law Institute/YouTube)
A review of the ELI policy brief summarizing past events shows that the CJP has contacted judges in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Federal Circuits, including several Kaha based in new york city, Boston and Puerto Rico. The organization also boasts that it hosted a plenary session attended by approximately 100 judges at the 9th Circuit’s Midwinter Annual Conference in 2019.
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“More specifically, ELI states that “climate change litigation” may “control, order, or influence the actions of others with respect to climate governance,” Cruz’s letter states. . “Therefore, the “highest goal” of the ELI project is “to support justice.” [it] build[s] “A legal system that appropriately addresses climate change” through climate change litigation. In other words, ELI intends to achieve through the courts what cannot be legislated: a radical environmental agenda. ”
“While ELI claims the project is ‘neutral’ and ‘objective,’ the curriculum is a playbook for judges to rule in favor of plaintiffs in anthropogenic climate change lawsuits against traditional energy companies. Something like that,” Cruz continued.
Ann Carlson, a former senior official at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, previously held positions at the law firm Sher Edling and the Environmental Law Institute. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
The Texas Republican further said that CJP’s course “demonstrates how climate science builds on long-established scientific disciplines” and “explores the anthropogenic components of climate change.” “There is,” he said. [global] “Global warming,” “causal relationships between emissions,” “climate change,” etc.
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He also has offices in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Minnesota, New York City, San Francisco, Baltimore, Chicago and Washington, D.C. — some of the staff are the same.
While serving on ELI’s board, Carlson also provided pro bono consulting to Sher Edling on litigation against oil companies, financial disclosures also revealed. Shah Edling attorney Michael Berger has also participated in several ELI events, and former Shah Edling attorney Meredith Wilensky previously served as an ELI public interest law fellow.
Vic Shah, a partner at the law firm Shah Edling, will discuss climate change litigation in which he is involved in a virtual panel in December 2021. Shah Edling represents multiple states, cities, and counties in lawsuits that blame oil companies for global warming. (American Tort Museum/YouTube)
And Sher Edling receives funding from left-wing organizations such as the MacArthur Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which also fund ELI.
In a statement to FOX News Digital, ELI said it was reviewing Cruz’s letter, but the group is nonpartisan and aims only to provide “unbiased and objective information” to judges. He repeated.
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“The Environmental Law Institute is an internationally recognized, nonpartisan research, publishing, and education organization that has been active for more than 50 years,” ELI spokesperson Nick Collins told FOX News Digital in a statement.
“The Climate Justice Project will provide judges with fair and objective information about climate science and the law,” Collins said. “We are currently reviewing Sen. Cruz’s letter and will determine the appropriate response.”
FOX News Digital reached out to Carlson and Shar Edling for comment on Cruz’s letter.
