Montana AG Leads 23 States Demanding EPA Halt Funding to Climate Advocacy Group Training Judges
HELENA,MT – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is spearheading a bipartisan coalition of 23 state attorneys general in a demand to teh U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revoke grants awarded to the Environmental Law Institute (ELI). The ELI is accused of using taxpayer funds to promote a specific climate agenda through training programs aimed at judges nationwide.
In a strongly worded letter sent Tuesday to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin,Knudsen details concerns that the ELI’s “Climate Judiciary Project” – which has already reached over 2,000 judges with its seminars and workshops – isn’t providing neutral education,but rather actively lobbying the judiciary to enact climate policy through legal rulings. The ELI received approximately 13% of its revenue from EPA grants in 2023, with an additional 8.4% allocated for 2024.
“As attorney general, I refuse to stand by while Americans’ tax dollars fund radical environmental training for judges across the country,” Knudsen stated.
“The Environmental Law Institute’s Climate Judiciary Project is using woke climate propaganda, under the guise of what they call ‘neutral’ education, to persuade judges and push their wildly unpopular agenda through the court system.”
The core of the complaint lies in the ELI’s presentation of climate science. Critics argue that the training exposes judges – who may preside over climate-related cases – to materials produced by organizations directly involved in climate litigation, thus compromising judicial impartiality. This raises serious questions about due process and the fairness of future rulings.
Moreover, Knudsen alleges that the ELI is engaging in deceptive marketing practices, violating state consumer protection laws with misleading claims about the objectivity of its training. The letter emphasizes the obligation of attorneys general to protect consumers from false advertising.
The coalition includes attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming. This broad, geographically diverse support underscores the widespread concern over the ELI’s activities.
The full letter to the EPA is available for review here.
