FIRST ON FOX: Kansas's attorney general is asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the funding sources behind an "environmental lawfare campaign" that he says has taken shape in recent years.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach said Monday that the DOJ should probe how the Chinese government is allegedly bankrolling litigation in the United States that is designed to weaken the domestic energy sector while boosting China's, according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
Energy Foundation China (EFC), a nonprofit based in San Francisco with a large presence in Beijing, appears to be funding some of the lawsuits, said Kobach, an elected Republican.
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"Not surprisingly, the EFC appears to support actions that align with China's strategic interest in boosting alternative energy production systems in which China controls crucial supply chains for necessary minerals, batteries, solar panels, and other energy technologies," Kobach wrote.
Kobach added that the nonprofit has "close ties" to the Chinese Communist Party and that the DOJ should investigate for possible improper foreign influence over the U.S. economy.
Read the letter below.
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Energy Foundation China has a well-documented history of funneling tens of millions of dollars to environmental groups.
State Armor, a nonprofit focused on national security, released a report last month detailing the flow of funds into and out of Energy Foundation China and how that money allows climate advocacy groups to thrive and bring lawsuits on behalf of their causes.
"As part of their strategy to control our energy grid and supply chains, they control non-profits and co-opt left-wing environmental groups to drive the CCP's agenda through our own court systems and universities," State Armor CEO Michael Lucci said in a statement. "It's a classic CCP influence op with a healthy dose of CCP-style lawfare."
The report said, for example, that Energy Foundation China was the driving force behind numerous lawsuits brought against the company Bayer over allegations its pesticide used a chemical linked to cancer. Bayer has denied the claims but said the litigation could force it out of the U.S. market. The report warned that in such a scenario, the United States' agricultural industry would become reliant on a Chinese competitor for products Bayer normally would provide.
The report also detailed how Energy Foundation China's leadership includes members or former members of the Chinese government.
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Kobach's letter follows the state attorney general testifying last month during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about the same matter. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, led the hearing, called "Enter the Dragon-China and the Left's Lawfare Against American Energy Dominance."
"Our energy sector is the engine of American prosperity, the lifeblood of our industrial power, our national security, and our geopolitical leverage," Cruz said during his opening statement. "If American energy is under attack, so is American security and American independence."
Sen. Pete Welch, D-Vt., suggested during the hearing that it was dishonest to accuse groups that support litigation aimed at reducing carbon emissions of nefariously attempting to help the Chinese government. China and U.S. climate advocates could have well-intentioned goals that happen to be in alignment, Welch said.
"How do you distinguish between a person whose motivation is to be a left-wing Chinese sympathizer and people who just disagree with the fossil fuel industry [and believe] that climate change in fact is real and we have to do something about it?" Welch asked.
The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about Kobach's letter.
