Smith investigates potential misuse of public funds

U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) recently sent a letter to the attorney of Dr. Jagadish Shukla, founder of Institute of Global Environment and Society (IGES) and several other non-profit organizations, as part of his investigation into the entities’ use of federal funding.

The investigation stems from a September letter from IGES to senior White House officials, which requested a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) investigation of climate change denier organizations. Federal funding cannot be used to influence public policy, and IGES received an estimated $63 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Air and Space Administration (NASA).

“It appears that grants provided to IGES are not serving the intended purpose of providing services to the public,” Smith, who is the chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, said. “Instead, taxpayers appear to be picking up the tab for excessive salaries, nepotism, questionable money transfers, and political activity while receiving little or no benefit. The public expects non-profit organizations that receive taxpayer money to exercise responsible stewardship of their tax dollars.”

Smith’s letter requested documents and materials to further his investigation.