House Lawmakers Ask Treasury to Probe Russian Funding of Anti-Fracking Groups in U.S.
Two key House Republicans asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to investigate allegations that Russia interfered in U.S. energy markets by making millions in contributions to environmental groups opposed to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in order to sow domestic discord.
In a six-page letter to Mnuchin dated June 29, U.S. Reps. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Randy Weber (R-TX) accuse Russia, through government-run corporations like Gazprom, of waging a "propaganda war against fossil fuels" by channeling funds to anti-fracking groups in the U.S. through Bermuda.
"It is easy to see the benefit to Russia and Gazprom that would result from a reduction in the U.S. level of drilling and fracking -- a position advocated for by numerous environmental groups in the U.S.," Smith and Weber wrote. They added that publically available documents point to a "complex scheme operated under the guise of philanthropic endeavors.
"The Russian government and complicit parties have executed a political agenda with little or no paper trail. This scheme allows money originating from foreign countries like Russia to funnel through Bermuda-based shell companies to environmental groups in the United States with the aim of disrupting the U.S. energy industry. These allegations are ripe for investigation by the Department of Treasury."
